SAVAGE CRITICISM

Australia neopop phenoms Savage Garden are currently on the road 
for the group's first North American tour.  USA Today's Rickey 
Wright caught the Garden's show in Seattle last Monday and came 
home raving, giving the show 3 stars (out of 4): "The crowd 
responded to one highly emotional vision of romance after 
another.  Whether it was the flippant sexuality of 'I Want 
You,' the post-breakup trauma of 'Universe' or the power-ballad 
expression of eternal devotion that is the smash 'Truly Madly 
Deeply,' the songs were smartly constructed and utterly 
believable.  Savage Garden, led by Hayes and multi-instrumentalist 
Daniel Jones, has achieved massive airplay and sales success via a 
familiar-sounding blend of '80s New Wave and '90s Top-40 gloss.  
Its music moved through many styles, but stayed focused on 
unforgettable sing-along choruses and, of course, the L-word:  
love....The band's tunefulness and smart diversity of mood mark 
it as a potentially enduring act.  If it continues at its current 
high level of quality, it should soon be inspiring newcomers just 
as its own role models have done."