Cons Lacks direction/purpose, forgettable, bad arrangements...
The Bottom Line There are worse things out there than Thin Lizard Dawn's Go (1999) but it is still probably not worth checking out.
Full Review
I know of at least a few dozen bands which cropped up in the mid and late 1990’s that could be appropriately categorized as post-grunge. Of course, since “grunge” was never really anything aside from a title for an era of rock the title of “post-grunge” is similarly meaningless. But with that said these bands were all very similar in their slant. Blending rock with pop melody and boyish charm they had hit after hit and pervaded MTV and the radio airwaves. Heck, they still exist in slightly altered form even today.
You know their names and their varied level of talent—Matchbox Twenty, Better than Ezra, Third Eye Blind, Eve 6, and Collective Soul come to mind first. But there are other bands which for no particular reason never reached the same heights as that “first tier” of post-grunge. They are on the whole no better and no worse, just less known. One such band is the now defunct Thin Lizard Dawn, a heavily promoted band on the RCA label.
Formed in NYC during 1994, the band’s lineup is Greg Lattimer (vocals, guitar), Howie Statland (guitar, vocals), Mike Gagliardi (bass, backing vocals) and Dave Berk (drums, backing vocals). Despite Thin Lizard Dawn’s 1996 eponymous major label debut, they made only a minor splash on radio. This isn’t to say that their music was any more or less “special” than their contemporaries—rather as luck would have it that album was largely ignored. But they continued making music and in 1999 released a second slightly better received album titled Go. The band didn’t last much longer however—they had grown stagnant and instead of making things worse dissolved their working relationship.
Go, while not perfect, is the best work Thin Lizard Dawn did for RCA during their rather brief courtship. Despite my disdain for most all things “post-grunge” I can’t help but enjoy the disc on a few levels. This isn’t to say it’s the most profound thing I’ve ever heard but some of the melodies are nice and decently memorable and the performances are generally apt. I’m just not impressed by the creativity nor am I moved particularly by the arrangements are lyrics. These are just songs—nothing more, nothing less. This lack of spark is obviously what made it difficult for audiences to connect and helped lead to the dissolution of Thin Lizard Dawn.
In any case, there are songs I must admit to enjoying despite the overall monotony of the ill-fated Go. Plus, I can’t help but really honestly like Lattimer’s dynamic vocals. Get It opens the album up on a fabulous note. The guitars mesh nicely with the keyboards, drums, and vocals. Plus, the melody is relatively memorable. It’s the kind of thing you can’t help but tap your toe to. Though it fails to make a lasting impression—something that rings true across pretty much all of Go. The songs alternate between ones that are mildly appealing and painfully annoying.
Summer Song is the first point at which things go wrong for Thin Lizard Dawn. Clearly, it is meant to be some kind of summer Beach Boys influenced thing but I can’t help but be distracted by Lattimer’s whinnying (and yeah—I do still like his voice when properly utilized) and the tinny arrangement. Getting’ a Piece is mildly better—it is at least entertaining. The harmonies provided from the band are interesting to say the least, but still there is a certain spark missing from the overall picture. Plus, the songs are on the whole underdeveloped. They seem to be short snippets of a larger idea. Just as my interest is peaked, the song comes to an abrupt end (they average somewhere in the neighborhood of three to three and a half minutes).
Soda Pop & Lemonade further annoys me as does the unnecessary thirty-one second snippet Thrill Ride. As the album nears a mid-point, something becomes very clear. Thin Lizard Dawn was attempting simultaneously to draw in “post-grunge” audiences and fans of more adventurous space rock (The Verve, Spacehog). Sleep in particular proves this with orchestral elements, electric guitars, and a mid-tempo groove. I like the track fine enough, but it still lacks zest and zing and individuality.
Go begins to become one monotonous hunk of generally pretty sounding nothingness as it nears the end. Ooh and New Kid do nothing for me not to mention the fact they are boring and blend into the musical woodwork. It takes until Messages for my interest to be sparked again. In fact, I think it’s one of the better offerings. I like the more prominent bass guitar, the upbeat and infectious melody, and Lattimer’s breathy boyish vocals. The unfortunate thing is that one decent song can’t make up for the repeated pummeling from lackluster songs. Turn Yourself In represents a change of pace. I appreciate the band’s attempt to try other things, but it is too little too late.
Under Dina Vingo and Passengers on Planet Earth wrap things up on a mediocre note. The former is a slow burning, country rock influenced track while the latter infuses blues into the mix. Though, unfortunately, they do nothing for me. I’m just left wondering “why.” I can understand how the band felt creatively stagnant especially after listening to Go.
This isn’t a horrible album, but it lacks direction and lacks purpose. I want to like it and I do on some levels but I think there have been other bands that have done a better job than Thin Lizard Dawn in similar ventures. My suggestion? Maybe check it out if you like “post-grunge” forays into space rock. Otherwise skip it. Heck, check out member Howie Statland’s NYC Smoke album For the Posers. It’s better by a long shot.
Rating: 2/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Get It
02. Summer Song
03. Gettin’ a Piece
04. Soda Pop & Lemonade
05. Thrill Ride
06. Sleep
07. Ooh
08. New Kid
09. Kiddies & The Ravers
10. Messages
11. Turn Yourself In
12. Under Dina Vingo (Under the Wing)
13. Passengers on Planet Earth
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