Go up to Weezer, Superdrag, or the Get Up Kids and ask who their influences are: odds are you'll get answers like Cheap Trick, Led Zeppelin, and the Replacements. Go up to Schatzi and ask who their influences are: odds are they'll say Weezer, Superdrag, and the Get Up Kids.

That shouldn't penalize the band any, though. They like what they hear, and, for lack of a better word, imitate it [and it's not like they're the only band]. They do a pretty respectable job of the pop-rock run through a post-grunge filter. The results are somewhat admirable. "Death Of The Alphabet" is the catchiest 2 minutes of music you'll hear this year [plus the song has guest vocals from Adrienne of the Anniversary]. "Sucked Into Something" provides the album with a much needed shot of hard rock, with headache-inducing drum pounding and squealing guitar riffs. "The Spider Smells Disaster" adds a good Superdrag-esque bit of rock to the mix, while "Song For Stephanie" is a slower song with great buildups and impeccable harmonies.

So there's good songs on the album. Why shouldn't you buy it, then? Well, all four of those tracks [plus 4 more not on this album] are available on the "Death Of The Alphabet" EP which was released late last year. The only other noteworthy songs on this CD are "Bionic Waves," a nod to Weezer's "My Name Is Jonas" with it's pulsating 6/8 beat and it's perfect harmonies, and "Gladys," that perfect emo/pop punk song destined for mix tape sucess. The rest of the album remains pretty faceless and lackluster.

If you already own the EP, is it worth the $13.99 to get the full length? Maybe. If you're just starting out with Schatzi, go with the "Death" EP, it's much more enjoyable with less of the filler. I do recommend seeing the band live, however; this material sees a new light when being performed on stage.

MP3
Death Of The Alphabet