GIRLS AGAINST BOYS
                    Freak*On*Ica
                    (Geffen/DGC)

                    Here it is — the big Geffen/DGC release from                     "up-and-coming heart-throbs" Girls Against Boys. Normally, I                     would say that their great music backs them up against all                     the useless "sexy" labels that all the mags and more                     image-worried people have been throwing at them — but not                     with this album. Freak*On*Ica is the mythical nightmare                     album that every indie band fan stresses over. You know,                     "Will my fave band change when signing to a major?" That                     sort of thing. In this case, the band has only slightly stuck to                     their roots — while abandoning the double bass grind and                     threatening nature of past releases in favor of an electronic,                     groove-riddled base structure and a mix that accentuates the                     already extra-weak lyrics. The album-opener "Park Avenue"                     sets the stage for a downhill ride with it's redundant riffing                     and odd similarity to the radio-friendly Republica's "Ready To                     Go." "Psycho Future" is nothing more than a hip, updated                     Duran Duran take and "Roxy" is a prime example of why                     Scott McCloud's vocals should be put deep, down low in the                     mix. At it's best, Freak*On*Ica is a dense and well-recorded                     effort. At it's worst, it's truly tired and uninspired dance rock.

                    Jeff McLeod
                    071398