The Like
Issue #25
Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? (Geffen)
By Anne Johnson
Published: September 1st, 2005 | 1:03pm
This youthful L.A. band, which showcases the precocious talents of vocalist-guitarist Z Berg, drummer Tennessee Thomas, and bassist Charlotte Froom — at ages 18, 19, and 18 respectively — have accomplished more at their young ages than many musicians could ever hope to pull off. Since forming in 2001, the Like has already toured with Maroon 5 and Phantom Planet, and this major-label debut could have the band perched at the brink of major pop stardom.
Power trios are always musically impressive and the Like can hold it together with the best of them, but that's where any comparisons with, say, Rush end. Berg excites with her Björk-influenced, throaty vocals and her sporadic Beatles-esque guitar as do her equally talented band mates. There is a formulaic tendency in the songs and the Like often give in to some of the pop-rock clichés ("What I Say and What I Mean," "Falling Away") that have been elevated to an art form of sorts by the Matrix folks. However, it does seem unlikely that many other pop stars are singing about Madame Bovary.
This debut full-length follows three Eps and was artfully produced by Wendy Melvoin (of Prince and the Revolution). Melvoin took the band's pretty pop — which echoes the Cardigans, Sixpence None the Richer, New Order, and even Cheap Trick — and created levels and dimensions that keep the arrangements from sounding too flat.
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The Like' official Web site
The Like's Myspace page
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