Celebrate The Cliche - Ben's Diapers (Finland)

Label:	Popatak Records
Released:	2000
Highlights:	The Gift The Loved And The Lost Pooch Steadybear
Rating:	7/10

Celebrate The Cliche (great title!) is the debut album for Finish power pop band, Ben's Diapers. Expertly produced and mixed by Michael Carpenter, the sound throughout Celebrate The Cliche is strong, dynamic and sharp. In other words, ideal for power pop. The songs themselves are uniformly strong and range from the Byrdsian jangle of Gift to the Jayhawkish Reality Check to the crunching power chords of Pooch. Whilst Ben's Diapers are a talented band, the majority of the songs on Celebrate The Cliche fail to hit the mark. The main reason for this I feel is the leaden and unconvincing vocal style of lead singer Jaako Soderdtrom, who doesn't give the songs the emotional impact they deserve. Subsequently, there is little to recommend Ben's Diapers over the many other power pop bands from around the world. Nevertheless, if Ben's Diapers continue to improve, I'm sure they'll be a band to watch in the future.

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