Soundtrack Review: Amplifier Magazine

AWESOME review from Amplifier Magazine:

Film soundtracks are usually a poor investment, and often laden with incidental music and songs that have been previously issued; ditto releases which propose to be “inspired by the film…” which tend to be thrown together at the behest of ad departments. Not so with The Graduates, which emerges as a cohesive collection of up-beat novelty offerings that certainly evoke the film’s storyline of libidinous high-school grads who head to a beach resort to get laid and party. Though they’re not (yet) household names, the artists here - most notably Mad Tea Party, Seth Freeman, Sex w/Lurch, and The Smittens, - all put their best musical foot (and bleeding hearts) forward. Sex w/Lurch’s “Tokyo Cowboy” is a mad-cap garage rocker that would fit nicely on Nuggets (think ? Mark and the Mysterians). “Here Kitty Kitty,” one of several Freeman cuts, has a ska beat to die for and a sexy libretto that would make Beyonce blush (note to Freeman - you should prompt her to cover this!). Mad Tea Party lives up to its goofy name with the “Wipe Out” inspired “I Went Out” - replete with Beach Boys harmonies and charmingly out-of-tune vocals that would get Mother Theresa thrown off American Idol. Dig The Smittens heartfelt “The Garden” - a mid-tempo rocker rendered in a baritone just south of Johnny Cash. The Graduates puts the fun back in rock ‘n’ roll where it belongs!

--Tom Semioli [January 26, 2009]

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