For a record produced by Jim Dickinson, who twiddled the knobs for the likes of the Replacements and Rolling Stones, I was hoping the
Gunbunnies would've packed more of a punch. Then again, I encountered this CD for the first time last year, so I suppose my expectations weren't
that high. Virgin Records no doubt marketed this Memphis by-way-of Little Rock quartet as "alternative," if only in the loosest connotation.
Paw Paw Patch is the sound of Guadalcanal Diary had that band made a concerted effort to mainstream themselves, and it's not far removed from Matthew Sweet's pre-
Girlfriend solo records to boot. "Stranded" kicks up a decent dust cloud, while "3 Days Behind" and "Drinking Days" are plenty catchy, but I'm hearing way too many bunts that could've been RBI material had the Gunbunnies and/or producer Jim Dickerson not applied so damn much polish. A much more thorough assessment of the Gunbunnies, plus an interview with frontman
Chris Maxwell can be read at
Pop Dose online.
01. Put a Tail On Your Kite
02. Down in the Dark
03. Stranded
04. Big Talk
05. The Killing Frost
06. Can I Follow You?
07. 3 Days Behind
08. Break My Fall
09. Little Drops of Water
10. Drinking Days
Hear
Loved these guys. Was fortunate to see them once in Austin toward the end of their lifespan, though I didn't know that at the time. They played most of this record, of course, but also a lot of soul covers ("Let's Stay Together" is the only one I remember for sure). Imagine my surprise when Chris Maxwell turned up in Skeleton Key a few years later.
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