The Beauty Shop – 'Monsters' (Believe) Released 24/04/06

'Monster' was an album by REM, one that marked their most rock moment.  Ironically The Beauty Shop's 'Monster' recalls their earlier work – being built around Peter Buck style jingle, jangle country guitar picking.  Singer John Hoeffleur is possessed of a very deep baritone of a voice, similar to the guy out of Crash Test Dummies (remember them?) which adds colour to proceedings. Its not an incredibly memorable track, though, but the extra ones are not bad.  Mention must be given to 'Public Hangings' where Hoeffleur proves himself a cantankerous character - pleading for the return of such happenings complete with "hotdogs and beer" as the only remedy for a world where '"lunatics will shoot you just for fun." Is he being ironic we wonder?