The first "What If It Works?" review

Nooo, we still don't have a release date—the artwork still isn't done—but due to a premature CD-R I sent to Amplifier magazine, we do have the first review of What If It Works? And I'm thrilled that the reviewer really "gets it."

Who would have thought that the combination of two of indie pop's most eccentric singer/songwriters would end up sounding relatively... well... normal? Surprisingly, that's pretty much what happens when the Loud Family's Scott Miller teams up with Anton Barbeau on What If It Works? This is the first new Loud Family effort since 2000's Attractive Nuisance, and the first collaboration between Miller and Barbeau. The 12 songs are typical Loud Family smart-pop (including a frothy cover of the Rolling Stones' "Rocks Off"), featuring clever lyrical twists and shared lead vocals. Coming from two guys who have written songs with titles such as "Please, Sir, I've Got a Wooden Leg" and "Hot Rox Avec Lying Sweet Talk," simple pop tunes such as "Kind of In Love" and "I Think I See The Light" are a tad startling, but still damned good. Better than damned good are Barbeau's dorky-yet-catchy "Pop Song 99" and Miller's stunning "Mavis of Maybelline Towers," both of which rank right up there with these guys' finest work. Other ringers are the laid back "Total Mass Destruction," where Miller gives insights on his long layoff when he sings "the fanzines rave, but I can't see it paying the bills," and Barbeau's bent bubblegum opus "I've Been Craving Lately," which closes things out on a high note. Toning down the overt nuttiness to a manageable level serves mad semi-geniuses Scott Miller and Anton Barbeau well, and makes What If It Works? an excellent addition to the Loud Family library.
-John M. Borack
Amplifier #53 March/April