The Fire Apes - A Life in Letters (2011, - a brief evaluation

Indie outfits that release albums sporadically (in the case of Charleston's Fire Apes, who only manage to pump out a platter once every seven years, or thereabouts) tend to fall off my radar, but once that ol' sonar picks up any sign of reemergence, especially from a longtime favorite, I'm off to the races once again.  Commandeered by the group's only consistent member, leadman John Seymour, the Fire Apes are one of those twice-a-decade delights that reawaken my senses as described per above.  As was the case with '97's A Perfect Day for Bananafish and their 2005 entry, Central Park Carousel, A Life in Letters is if anything else consistently satisfying, though not a marked progression.  That's just fine however if you're game for the shiny, assertive power pop that combos like Let Go, Weezer, and Fountains of Wayne are wont to let flow like a raging kegger at a frat party.  From incisive and pummeling ("It's Over" and "3 O'clock") to measured and doleful assessments of unrequited love ("Killing Me From the Inside" and "6 1/2") Letters cuts both ways with a diamond sharp blade of acumen, intensity, and class.