The Sheila Divine -- New Parade

7/10

There's nothing like a hot Dr. Thunder on your lunch break. Yes, sitting in my 1996 Ford Thunderbird in the Winn-Dixie parking lot, drinking the champion of all knock-off sodas is a taste memory burned into my tongue for all eternity. Generally, this soda, warmed to boiling by the hot south Louisiana summer sun beating down upon my car, was joined by an equally car-baked turkey/ham/roast beef sandwich and some Ruffles. Ruffles have ridges.
This may sound dismal, but this meal was always accompanied by the hottest in late 90's college rock. Yes, my KLSU-fueled lunch breaks were the best, and a large portion of my future listening tastes were crafted during those power hours. One of my favorite discoveries during this time is The Sheila Divine, a rock band from Boston. One late afternoon, I'd leaned my seat back, about to dose off, despite Dr Thunder's considerable power, when I heard a simple, six-note bass intro, then a guy sing the line "In my mouth there's a hurricane...JUST LET IT OUT!" I've never heard someone so aptly describe their voice before then giving an example of it.

The song is "Hum," and thirteen seconds in, Adam Perrino unleashes a swarm of melodic bees from his vocal chords. This isn't, I'd learn, his de-facto singing voice, but one he frequently uses to punctuate The Sheila Divine's songs.
"Hum" is a catchy, 2.5 minute blast of rock goodness, and The Sheila Divine's debut, New Parade, contains a handful of songs that stand tall next to it. At this point, The Sheila Divine is a three-piece, their sound simple and straightforward. The songs that serve this sound best are to the point, like "Like a Criminal," "Awful Age," and of course, "Hum." However, when the band stretches its legs and composes something approaching or surpassing five minutes, their sound just isn't complex enough to carry the tunes.  Four of New Parade's tracks fall into this category, and two of them come late in the album, creating a a ten-plus minute stretch that's a slog to get through. However, this doesn't completely detract from New Parade's value, which is its punchier, more punk-influenced tracks, and that incredible hurricane of a voice that Perrino blasts to the heavens.
Is there any kid on the planet still discovering music the way I did two decades ago? And is there still Dr. Thunder? Why did I keep my lunch in the car instead of just bringing it in the store with me, and stashing it at my register until it was time to break? The mayonnaise on my sandwiches would have been so less disgusting. The Dr. Thunder would have burned my throat so much less severely. Then again, maybe the music wouldn't have sounded so damn good.

1999 Roadrunner Records
1. Automatic Buffalo 5:08
2. Like a Criminal 3:48
3. Awful Age 3:31
4. Hum 2:38
5. Spacemilk 3:49
6. I'm a Believer 2:43
7. The Modern Log 4:52
8. Opportune Moment 3:43
9. The Amendment 4:02
10. New Parade 4:51
11. Kitchen Song 5:32
12. Sweep the Leg 2:03