With the release of 2001's
The Battle of Electricity
,
the Gerbils
found a formula for their brand of
indie pop
that kept them from venturing in other directions. Present are the requisite silly, nonsensical lyrics along with swirly guitar and synthesizer noises that lay the groundwork for the simple
pop
songs. On
Battle
, nearly every track is followed by an interlude-like instrumental number that splits the ten full tracks into 18 songs. The disc may come with the
Elephant 6
seal of approval, stating its adherence to the homemade D.I.Y. aesthetic, but that's not always a seal of quality. Here the
seal is simply one of intention and serves as a general indicator that listeners will know what they're in for. Truly, the record is just not as catchy as the work of
the Apples (in stereo)
or as inventive as that of
Olivia Tremor Control
, two other groups that are members of the
collective. The collective works in a similar fashion as the
jazz
community by trading work duties on each other's releases.
Bill Doss
of
, among other collective members, sits in a track or two, making the disc that much more central to those in the Georgia
scene. As the '90s saw a great many bands in this genre (obviously more than just a collective) flourish, the public couldn't handle much more of it. This release asks for too much, as it generally rehashes the same things that its collaborators explored in the previous five-year period. By the time of its release,
sounded as though any number of bands, from
to
Neutral Milk Hotel
Elf Power
, had their unwieldy hands in it (which they most surely did). ~ Ken Taylor