Best Boy Marshalltown IA

Best Boy

Pen Pal

Evil Teen Records, 1996

REVIEW BY: Paul Hanson

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 07/23/1998

I have a friend who is an 80's devotee and I couldn't help butthink of him as I scorched my way through this disc from Pen Pal.Even if you tend to dismiss the 80's as the decade of heavy metal,hairspray and synthesizers, you're still left with a majority ofsongs that are happy, be-boppy or, if nothing else, devoid of theangst that has characterized the alternative movement of the1990's. So when Pen Pal reached to me, it was like something I hadheard about ten years ago. Although the band tiptoes its way aroundcliches like negotiating a minefield, the band is successful.

The first thing you will probably notice about this CD is thereare no lyrics like "The world sucks/ so blow up the outside world."In fact, guitarist/lyricist/brainchild of Pen Pal. David Greenbergis so happy-go-lucky on the surface, you might puke. In thehypnotizing opening track, "Et Cetera," he's basically dismissing apast relationship that didn't go as planned. Seeing things throughrose colored glasses seems to be Pen Pal's approach to life.

And it's a philosophy that carries itself through the entire CD.Bringing out the synthesizer in "Dumb" brings back images of anynumber of 80's bands like O.M.D. or Depeche Mode. And then, addingthe lyrics, "I want to be dumb/ It's so hard to get so smart/ Andstill be happy/ I want to be dumb" definitely echoes the buoyancyof the 80's.

So, in general, this is peppy, high-spirited music. Pen Pal maybe able to find their niche in the national music scene as thecounter-angst music movement continues to develop and as therebirth of 80's acts like the recent New Edition reunion continueto compete with modern acts for attention. For those sick of "Ihate my life" songs, switch to Pen Pal.