2005 release, their second after the truly outstanding debut "Kind Of Light" a big fave here and on Bruce`s Top 20 for 2003. The 88 increase the hook factor, the line quotient and the sinker effect on their sophomore release Over And Over. With this release, The 88 refute the myth that art and the three-and-a-half-minute power pop song cant get along. While the new record shares the same rollicking spirit as its predecessor it also marks a sonic leap forward for the Los Angeles-based quintet. The buoyant melodies and general jollity that characterized album one infuse all 12 tracks of their sophomore release, only this time with an expanded sound, a result, no doubt, of the groups artistic growth and lots and lots of practice. With album-opener and first single Hide Another Mistake, The 88 flash the same natural hook-writing chops that made Lights Elbow Blues and How Good It Can Be so addictive. Equally catchy are the breakup-survival anthem Battle Scar, with its propulsive bass drumming and high-octane tambourines, and the track Bowls, which showcases Torress nimble bass line and producer Ethan Allens sure-handed mixing. But nowhere is The 88s ensemble spirit more evident than on Everybody Loves Me, which deftly weaves together Jays angular guitar licks, Vasapollis pummeling drum fills and Merrins frenetic piano arpeggios with subtle backing vocals and Slettedahls off-the-chart falsetto. For all its up-tempo gusto, Over and Over has its quietly affecting moments as well. On the plaintive You Belong To Me, the band scales back its usually textured arrangements to let Slettedahls stark vocals stand alone, while Jesus Is Good combines a languid accordion with sultry sevenths to invoke a dirty, swampy burlesque. But its arguably All Cause of You that has grabbed the most buzz among long-time 88 fans in LA, many of whom have clamored for an album version of this concert showstopper. "This is complex pop with a late 60`s vibe, much like the retro-chic chick on the cover art suggests. I hear Beatles, Kinks and Jellyfish at times, but The 88 sound is unique, clean and modern. Standard rock hookery gives way to intricate vocal/instrument laddering. The arrangements are brilliant. Huge dynamic rushes collide with quirky alt-rock sensibility and even ragtime piano. It all works in a way that I find extremely hard to describe. I will either get sick of "Over and Over" quickly or this is the most brilliant album of the year. Its going to take me a month of listening in order to figure it out. I do think that "Over and Over" will get the critics swooning and the college girls dancing, which I might add, is not an easy thing to do. My first impression? Simply, Wow!"-BlogCritics.org. Extremely Highly Recommended!!
 Hide Another Mistake - mp3
Bowls - mp3
Head Cut Off - mp3
Battle Scar - mp3
Haunt You - mp3 | 
