Slick Dogs And Ponies : Louis XIV : Review : Rolling Stone

Even Louis XIV's own members must be sick of the gimmicks that drove their 2005 major — label debut, The Best Little Secrets Are Kept: T.Rex — y guitars, Bon Scott — style vocals, perved — out lyrics. So on its second album, the San Diego group finds new tricks, from cellos played like rhythm guitars to Queen — like choirs of one. It all sounds great, thanks to co — leader Jason Hill's creative production and engineering (dig the double — high — hat tracks — one in each speaker — on the title song). But there's still too much of Brian Karscig's ultracampy "Big Balls" — style vocals, and it sometimes feels like these guys have confused expanding their range with finding new sources to rip off: The trippy "Air Traffic Control" bites Radiohead and Bowie, and an unnervingly sincere ballad ("Hopesick") sounds a lot like the Eels' "Novocaine for the Soul." Plus they take the whole lady — killer thing too far on "Stalker," with lyrics ("I can stare at you all night and you won't even notice") that are more — Silence of the Lambs than Electric Warrior.