ALLSTAR ONLINE - 02.20.98

Review of Happylove

Imagine you're sitting in your parked car on an early spring day, waiting for someone to come out of the liquor store, the sun warm on your legs, cool spring air coming in the window, and it's all mingled with the smell of stale cigarettes. That's what Star Ghost Dog sounds like -- winsome, with dark undercurrents lying beneath the energetic pop and buzzing guitars. Happylove is everything the latest offerings from indie divas Mary Lou Lord and Juliana Hatfield aren't. "You're Not There" reaches deeper -- unaffected lyrics like "I like it better when you're not there/ I feel lucky when you don't care" impart an engaging slacker kiss-off sentiment. Another standout, the urgent "Plus de Vaches," is their stab at an intelligent dance hit -- it layers Ginny Weaver's bored, almost atonal vocals over a funky early Cure-esque bassline. This moody, clever album is a suitable elixir for those who've had it with tired alterna-rock cliches.

- Tanya L. Edwards