The Dandy Warhols have an uncanny ability to craft incredibly catchy, infectious and delicious pop songs. This fact alone is enough to make their fans buy every record they produce. Unfortunately, as much as this is their incredible gift, it is also their Achilles heel. Since they have set the bar incredibly high, and have reached and surpassed that bar over and over again in their 15 year existence, fans expect each record to be filled with pop gems from start to finish, chock full of wry smirks, intelligent cynicism and knowing winks.
Earth To… is not filled with gems from start to finish. It is not the Dandy Warhol’s greatest moment. It’s not the record Dandies die-hards have been waiting for. But again, expectation is more to blame for this than the actual record. Earth To… also isn’t the worst thing the band has ever done, and does include some great moments. In fact, “Mis Amigos” might be one of Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s best songs in years. It’s infinitely hum-able and instantly memorable. Similarly, “The Legend of the Last Outlaw Truckers” and “Valerie Yum” both remind fans how much this foursome has mastered every kind of pop song, from country to psychedelia and back to pure sugary power pop. But other than a few moments, the rest of the album simply doesn’t live up to the band’s past. Consider Earth To The Dandy Warhols as a vehicle for a couple more tracks to the amazing greatest hits record the Dandies will one day put out, but don’t consider it great.
Video for “Mission Control”
