Carefree rock by Flaps Down
By KEN MAIURI
Thursday, April 20, 2000 -- Local
rock quartet Flaps
Down have a new CD out called
"Innocent," and nearly every song is
propelled along by an anthemically strummed
electric guitar. The chords ring and jangle,
like the musical equivalent of carefree driving
with the windows rolled down. The breezy rush is
fitting for a band that says in its bio it's
"fulfilling childhood dreams of making
music together."
Featuring Steve Samolewicz on guitar and
vocals, Ed Osepowicz on tenor sax and harmonica
and vocals, Steve Nalewanski on bass, and Walter
Bak on drums, Flaps Down are a band of
fortysomething guys with busy lives -
"Family, friends, and work (ughh!) come
first," they say on their Web site. But
music has obviously had an important place in
their hearts since they were kids, which you can
glean from the detailed retro illustrations
throughout the CD packaging (I particularly love
the suitcase stereo on the back with the Decca
LP on the turntable), and from their reflective
lyrics, and also from the gusto with which they
play their original songs.
There are nine tunes on "Innocent,"
and stand-outs include the rousing title track,
"Hold My Hand" (which features guest
vocalist Mary Rice), the very catchy "She
Used To Be Mine" (which brims with nice
percussion and piano from co-producer Jim
Weeks), and "Cool Daddy," which sort
of sounds like Trailer Park covering the Count
Five's "Psychotic Reaction."
The Flaps Down disc works as a concept album
of sorts; phrases like "looking back"
and "thinking about the future" appear
all over the lyric sheet. Osepowicz and
Samolewicz (who wrote the songs) are
contemplating their place in the universe,
comparing and contrasting the memories of
cruising in VW bugs and the hardworking lives of
Uncle Joe and Auntie Nell, and talking about
being kids and adults while they're currently a
little of both, thanks to that rock 'n' roll
racket. Flaps Down will have a CD release party
for "Innocent" at the Bay State Hotel
in Northampton on May 20 at 10 p.m.
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