CMJ NEW MUSIC REPORT - 02.14.00

On Star Ghost Dog's second full-length, The Great Indoors, the band makes having a case of ennui seem like an almost charming, glittering affliction. The Boston quartet combines Velocity Girl's iridescent indie rock guitar buzz with a Cardigans-style melodic languor. Most of that cool comes from vocalist/guitarist Ginny Weaver, whose voice, which has a rough-edged sweetness, makes such lyrical notions as "Passion is an outdated notion/No one really feels that emotion/ Cynical and bored, baby I'm worth a million" sound more seductive than they ought to be. The band, comprised of Brendan Lynch on guitar and keyboards, Owen Burkett on bass and Chris Foley on drums, does a great job of grafting the post-college, past-caring vibe onto addictive hooks. If the band's tunes don't show up on an episode of Felicity soon, we'll eat our hat.

- Carlene Bauer