Exploding Boy - New Generation (1992, Beyond)

Thought I'd share this until I get the chance to rip more vinyl.  Boy, I knew just what I was in for by a quick glance at the cover art.  Rochester's Exploding Boy dealt in the most polished, spit-shined strain of "modern rock" that was going on at the time.  Think a vaguely more AOR Rembrandts, Toad the Wet Sprocket, or even Crowded House and The Ocean Blue if that pair possessed a stronger pedestrian slant.  Not terribly far removed from the I-Rails tapes I've recently shared, but Exploding Boy's commercial aspirations are painfully evident and utterly impossible to downplay no matter how you care to slice New Generation.  Yeah, this entry is going to be something of a credibility killer, but that being said, some of the zestier rockers like "Charity," "Cry Out" and the title track cut the mustard quite capably.  If anything else, these guys dole out a steady stream of plush hooks, an abundance of which call for repeat listens.  Just don't get your hopes up for the Bowie cover.

01. New Generation
02. Charity
03. Close to Me
04. Flashpoint
05. Ziggy Stardust
06. I Want to Be Where You Are
07. Do You Believe
08. Blue Sky
09. Cry Out
10. Forever

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