Sparkle*Jets U.K. - Bamboo Lounge

I don't know how I've missed this in the 6 years that I've owned this album, but Bamboo Lounge has a little cocktail umbrella trapped inside the CD case. That's just awesome.

Random accoutrements aside, Sparkle*Jets U.K. are a highly talented power pop band which, despite the name, hails from Los Angeles. Bamboo Lounge has a lot of sugary sweet power pop with Beach Boys-esque harmonies and a general beachside tiki-bar vibe. The only songs that really don't fit into this mold, oddly enough, are the ones in which Susan West, the lone female member of the band, is singing lead. Her songs tend to have more of a Veruca Salt-ish sound, which isn't a bad thing aside from messing with the flow of the album a bit. Jags aside, there are a lot of really great songs on this album. It's exactly what I want from the albums my power pop forums recommend.