Archie Powell & The Exports: Skip Work

Archie Powell & The Exports
Skip Work
Team Cool Records [2010]









Fire Note Says: Archie Powell makes skipping work worth the risk!

Album Review:
The smart and catchy debut full length from Chicago's Archie Powell & The Exports will strike an immediate chord in your rock pop brain. The foursome come at you in the most traditional form of song structures, with simple verse chorus verse and upbeat tempos. Skip Work succeeds because it gets to the point, as the 12 tracks average a short 3 minutes and give the record a concise just under 35 minute running time. Powell's voice is immediately likable and at times he throws in some vocal distortion to shake things up, while also not holding back a few cuss words here and there which adds to the bands swagger. Skip Work has everything going for it, from the snappy sing-a-long of "Enough About Me" to the strolling closer "The Darndest Things" and is simply entertaining because Archie Powell & The Exports are so musically tight. This is a record and a band that has so far, flown way under the radar but ultimately should appeal to fans that range from Weezer to Elvis Costello. It is this widespread charm and memorable eager tracks that will have you returning to Skip Work for repeat listens and telling all you friends to check out your new favorite band - Archie Powell & The Exports!

Key Tracks: "Enough About Me", "Skip Work", "Moving To The City"

Bands With Similar Fire:
The Replacements
The Hold Steady
Elvis Costello

Archie Powell & The Exports Website
Archie Powell & The Exports MySpace
Archie Powell & The Exports Facebook

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony