ROCK.COM

Review of Happylove

"Odes to Love and Squalor"

There's a kind of rough-but-catchy, sweet-and-sour pop that seems to flourish in Boston-- made by bands who've got a wide-eyed romantic streak, but are a little too sly and cynical to admit it. Currently, Star Ghost Dog is one of the younger and more charming examples. On their debut album, you'll hear a bunch of sarcastic love songs, you'll hear a wry parody of the disco records they found in their parents' collections, and you'll hear a tongue-in-cheek anthem to romance and addiction ("Heroin Face," which has become an underground hit on college radio). Most of all, you'll hear lively male/female harmonies, shimmering guitar leads, and the kind of pop sparkle you thought had disappeared.Band founders Brendan Lynch and Ginny Weaver, who share vocals and guitars, met each other as students in western Massachusetts (she went to UMass, he to Hampshire), struck up a musical partnership and spent a few years getting things in order: They went to New York hoping to find a supportive local scene, then tried Boston for the same reason. The second try was the charm and they wound up sharing bills with local favorites like Fuzzy and Jen Trynin (whose drummer, Chris Foley has since joined Star Ghost Dog). In March, the band packed local rock club the Middle East in a release date for the debut album. It only proves that well-crafted pop tunes and sentiments like "If I had some vodka I'd throw a tantrum and pretend that you were here" never go out of style.