December 12–19, 1996

critic pick

six pick

Home

The Tampa, FL five-piece band Home mixes Mott the Hoople aural swirls with indie-pop idealism, classic rock affectations with punctuated synth freakiness. You'll wave your hands in the air to the surging sound of glam orchestration. You'll sway yer bones to the Perry Farrell-like croon.

The large, extensive arrangements are a bit self-conscious and overwrought, but manage to still seem fresh, even gleeful. Nothing's pretentious or difficult. This year, Home released the ep Home X on Emperor Jones and their eleventh album, Elf:Gulf Bore Waltz on Jetset; their first eight albums were independently released, but the ninth, though critically well-received, bombed for the label Relativity.

Even the album's title is extreme, strange and charming. "Elf," explains leader/ pianist Eric Morrison, is "11" in German and Gulf Bore Waltz"refers to the motion that we put ourselves through (i.e., recording an album) to avoid the dullness that can creep into a place like Tampa... also, the rhyme between 'Gulf Bore' and Gulf War' is entirely coincidental and unfortunate."

Sat., Dec.14, Rex's, 344 Gay Street, West Chester (610) 696-7769. Moped and Ditchcroaker open the show.

— Margit Detweiler