The mere mention of this band’s name brings the song “What Holds the World Together” by American Music Club to mind. It includes these lines: “The world is held together by the wind/That blows through Gena Rowlands’ hair.” I have no idea what these words mean. But I don’t care. Actress Gena Rowlands is eternally cool, and anyone who names his song or his band after Rowlands is flat out aces in my book. TGRB vocalist Bob Massey sings his orchestral pop creations a whole lot better than AMG’s Mark Eitzel ever did, but these two men nevertheless share the same world weariness. Massey longs for a planet where the Christian faith he’s heard so much about turns out to be valid and effective. On “Hope, For Want of a Greater Word” he complains: “This is your life/No manger for your bed/No halo for your little head/No wise men from the East.” He also wonders why this God that fascinates him so, also created all the beautiful women that fuel his lust. “God made the way women walk,” he elaborates, before adding, “And God knows I lose myself the moment you talk.” If this God is real, Massey sure hopes He’s a forgiving almighty. On “Fuckups of the World Unite,” he leads the heaven-bound parade with: “Fuckups of the world unite/And come with me to glory.” With TGRB, even the losers get lucky sometimes.
~ Dan MacIntosh
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