Just as bicycles have been replaced by fast cars, jet planes, motorcycles and other faster transport modes, innocent experimental music has been -- to a large extent -- overshadowed by cynical and sardonic modern rock. Now, for those who recall musical moments of (almost) anything goes, Bikeride provides a sunny joyride back to the good old days. The Kiss will feel like that first sonic kiss for many. Bikeride avoids darker elements in Beatles psychedelia, and leans closer to neon ELO -- obvious Fab Four followers, by the way. “Hole In My Eye,” with its b-movie vocal chorus, exemplifies this music’s playful, lighthearted spirit. The track “A Dancer’s Feet Are Not So Neat” also stands out for the way it captures country-rock exemplified by The Byrds and The Flying Burritos Brothers, and is accented by peppy pedal steel work. This pedal steel touch is not the disc’s only unusual instrument, however. The Kiss also finds room for trumpet, vibraphone, Mellotron, and Moog. Bike rides are particularly personal endeavors because they require people power. Similarly, this Bikeride CD has the human touch fingerprinted all over it. The Kiss is a two-wheeled trip through an aural kaleidoscope.
~ Dan MacIntosh
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