Chicago’s Unicycle Loves You is a difficult band to pin down. To put it in the simplest of terms, they’re a pop band. But that’s a vast oversimplification of just exactly what ULY is capable of. More accurately, they represent snippets of the history of pop music of the past four decades, rocketing through hyperactive emo pop, Cars-like new wave, shimmering jangle pop, dark and moody post-punk and playful ’60s sounds all in the course of about 40 minutes. While all of their songs contain a bit of that synth-heavy new wave sound, it manifests in different ways, such as on the barn-burning opening rocker “Great Bargains for Seniors,” the super-catchy anthem “Kiki Bridges” and the lazy, laid back “Hawaii!” No matter the stylistic flourishes, this Chi-town quintet excels at making perfect melodies and hooks, proving that under the guise of every different genre they may attempt, Unicycle Loves You can craft a delightful pop song every time.
-- Jeff Terich [July 28, 2008]
