[3/5] Has Pinback singer Rob Crow tamed Hella drummer Zach Hill? Or has Hill's noise rock corrupted Crow's sweet-but-skewed indie pop? Judging from their new collaboration as the Ladies, Hill has the edge: How much you'll enjoy They Mean Us depends largely on your patience with his fractured drumming. It's brilliant on "Empathy On A Stick," where Hill adds explosive, hyper-mathematic rhythms to a simple pop song. But "Nice Chaps, Buddy" plays to the worst tendencies of both players, sounding like the prog nightmare the Police thankfully never unleashed. Call this hit-and-miss experiment a success on the basis of "Non-threatening," whose lovely progressions should earn the duo respect across both their fanbases--while its Bush-baiting lyrics invite a visit from the FBI.
(TEMPORARY RESIDENCE LIMITED) Dan LeRoy
 Official Website: http://www.temporaryresidence.com
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