The eponymous debut of The Soft Pack is a decent starting point for a young band, and it could lead to much more impressive releases in the future. Odd though it may sound, their early popularity may have them off to a rocky start. The Soft Pack have the eyes and ears of many more people than they should at this point thanks to their former name, The Muslims. Certain predictable (and reprehensible) reactions to that name and the capitulatory change has spread their name(s) farther and faster than their music warrants, and this album probably won’t be enough to live up to the hype. There have been many similar albums released in the past couple of years, and many of the songs on The Soft Pack are catchy and enjoyable, but not particularly memorable. Keep your expectations reasonable, and The Soft Pack will be an album you can enjoy and forget about.
Some of their songs are, at least, fairly catchy. “C’mon” is as simple as a song gets in terms of its style, but its chorus, comprised of a simple guitar riff and the chanting of “C’mon,” will probably stick in your head for a while. This formula is repeated with equal (and equally limited) success on “Down on Loving,” but this time with a guitar solo thrown in. While the lack of originality might annoy some, the simple charm of upbeat, fast paced songs should at least get your toe tapping, maybe even a little head bobbing. Next up is ”Answer for Yourself,” one of the most impressive songs on the record. Its more serious mood brings a welcome change from the easy fun of the previous two tracks and reveals a stronger side of the band.
The first three songs on The Soft Pack are decent, but the next two don’t follow suit. “Move Along” and “Pull Out” don’t add much to the album, being simple songs with little real emotion behind either of them. However, “More or Less” keeps things interesting with its relative complexity and rhythm. With a much more original melody than some other tracks on the album, “More or Less” shows an aggressive attitude and has a nice, if obvious, message. “Mexico” sounds like a rock cover of a traditional Hawaiian song, which is something I could stand to hear more of. The relaxed feel of the guitar and the slower pace of the song are both aspects that should be incorporated into more of the group's music in the future. The album ends with “Parasites,” an infectious guitar and bass combination driving the type of garage rock song that should have been the reason The Soft Pack ever became known.
With a (hopefully) long future ahead of them, The Soft Pack would like for each listener to forget about their old name and just enjoy the music. To that end they have released, well, a pretty good album. Hopefully their next release will bring about even better things and with them a reason for us to forget about the story and focus on the music. For now, the music might not be quite enough to keep all the attention they’ve got.
Track List:
1.C’mon
2.Down on Loving
3.Answer to Yourself
4.Move Along
5.Pull Out
6.More or Less
7.Tides of Time
8.Flammable
9.Mexico
10.Parasites
