reax music magazine :: music + culture » Reviews » Wallpaper - On The Chewing Gum Ground

Jangly guitars over driving beats, raw production pushing a stripped-down feeling and the occasional keyboard evoking Bowie? Yep. Wallpaper brings a minimalist style to the table and still hits the Recommended Daily Allowance of rock. While there is obvious affection for '50s and '60s rock and roll (think Beach Boys, not fat Elvis, and pre-White Album Beatles), '70s U.K. punk - a la Buzzcocks, Stranglers and The Jam - has a stronger hold on the sound. This is grand, as Wallpaper reminds us that melodies and harmony are just as, if not more, important than bombastic solos. - Timothy Asher