2nd Grade - Hit To Hit

Philadelphia's Peter Gill has been around in some really interesting bands, particularly Free Cake For Everyone. For 2nd Grade's second album, the band consists of a diverse collection of interesting musicians, especially Catherine Dwyer and Jack Washburn of the excellent Remember Sports.

There are a lot of ideas here, as you'd expect with 24 songs in 41 minutes. There may also be a tendency to think that songs are half finished with song lengths thus, not a bit of it. These 24 offerings are very much say what you've got to say and move on. Thankfully no extended solos or choruses.






Hit To Hit is deliciously lo fi without that ever detracting from the quality and variety on offer. Gill's past and even more relevantly, the make up of the band allow that versatility to prosper. The band are as at home with the West Coast Pop of Not In The Band as the Fuzz and Psych of Baby's First Word.

Sucking The Thumb is pure IRS whilst Jazz Chorus reignites images of Jonathon Richman. When You Were My Sharona is Teenage Fanclub Pop and Velodrome is great Bubblegum. Summer of Your Dreams is an exception at 3 minutes 10 seconds and is fine Sunshine Pop.






Trigger Finger is right in Weezer territory, but the sense of humour is never far away, particularly on the potential Redneck Anthem 100 Hrs is splendid. Song subjects are generally about the banal and that helps the feel even more.

Not everything works, you wouldn't expect that in 24 songs. But Gill's vocal is wonderfully laid back and gentle and the album generally settle in a sort of West Coast Power Pop. Hit To Hit is fantastic Indie Pop, refreshingly so, I love the album.






You can listen to and buy the album here.


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