The Murmurs - Blender (1998)

Blender is an appropriate title for this CD, because it contains a blend of new material and songs that had already been heard on the Murmurs' 1997 release Pristine Smut. The alternative pop-rock duo probably would have been better off recording nothing but new material, but for those who discovered the Murmurs with Blender, it was quite an introduction. Sometimes recalling the Go-Gos, this album is power-pop heaven. Heather Grody and Leisha Hailey favor a waifish, girlish style of singing, and neither of them will win any awards for having fantastic ranges. But then, a great range isn't a prerequisite for delivering first-class power-pop, which is exactly what fun, melodic offerings like "Underdog," "Sucker Upper" and "La Di Da" are. Comparisons to the Go-Gos are inevitable, and in fact, the Murmurs wrote "Smash" with former Go-Gos Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey. However, this isn't to say the Murmurs don't bring a recognizable sound of their own to the material, most of which were produced by either k.d. lang or Matthew Wilder (who produced No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom). If you like your rock & roll laced with a ton of pop, Blender would be an excellent purchase.