Published on May 28, 2004
It’s good to know that some new bands haven’t lost the affinity
for creating heavy, guitar-driven rock. Take Big Fast Car, the
Charlottesville, Virginia – based power trio. Their latest album,
Fuel For The Fire, draws comparisons to 70s and 80s
guitar-worshipping heavy rock bands, such as Van Halen and the
Stooges, but with angsty lyrics that would feel at home on a Bush
album.
It’s no doubt that Big Fast Car has the chops to be a great
band. The chemistry of guitarist Matt Singleton, bassist Brian
Temples and drummer Dustin Bugg is evident in the Sweet-type
harmonies of “Conviction” and “Mr. Shine.” However,
Fuel For The Fire is so wrought with clichés, it’s
hard to distinguish the album or the band from any other band who
produces the same type of power guitar-oriented rock.
“Some Say” is a great example of the best and worst of Big Fast
Car. The ending of the song features a great, extended guitar solo,
but it seems unnecessarily tacked on. Some of the lyrics: “Go on
down to the crossroad tonight / Play your song and everything will
be alright” would fit perfectly in a Tenacious D album. Most of the
lyrics on
Fuel For The Fire make you wonder if the band is being so
ironic that it’s serious (e.g. The Darkness). Not that there’s no
place in rock for this type of music. “Black GTO” practically begs
to be put into circulation in the NPR radio show “Car Talk.”
The CD is nicely divided into ‘Side 1’ and ‘Side 2,’ complete
with the sound effect of a album side ending midway through. It’s
easy to get caught up in their enthusiasm of their influences,
which they display proudly throughout the album. But there is so
little new material to get excited about, and more importantly, not
much to merit repeat listens.
Big Fast Car seem to be one of those bands that need to be seen
live to truly appreciate. Give it time to disarm you and
Fuel For The Fire would be great background music for a
kegger in the back of a pickup. Sadly, the album is about as
forgettable as a fourth glass of keg beer.