American Hi-Fi: American Hi-Fi : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

"Yeah, we can all hum along/ 'Cause it's the same old song," sneers American Hi-Fi's singer-songwriter-guitarist Stacy Jones, former drummer for Boston's Letters to Cleo and Veruca Salt. "Hi-Fi Killer" is a pretty ballsy statement coming from a new band that sounds just like another foursome fronted by a drummer turned guitarist - Foo Fighters. And when they're not suggesting Dave Grohl's current band, American Hi-Fi evoke his earlier one, Nirvana, but fronted by Trent Reznor and with the grand production gloss of the Smashing Pumpkins (a band for which Jones once auditioned to be drummer).

But despite their absurd lack of originality and apparent obliviousness about it, American Hi-Fi outshine most recent radio-friendly pop-punk, with instantly welcoming songwriting and ferocious instrumental skills that match their good taste. Jones' wryly observant relationship tune, "Flavor of the Weak," has already made them just that, and the sustained buzz of their Bob Rock-produced debut suggests that American Hi-Fi will be around for a few more weeks - if not as long as their heroes. (RS 868 -- May 10, 2001)

BARRY WALTERS