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According to their bio, Chris & Tad started as a "challenge band" where each member was allowed to make only one trip to the car for equipment and whatever they could carry in one trip would be used for recording. The end result is a surprisingly "big" sound despite their decidedly minimalist approach which consists of only guitar, keyboard and a children's drum kit. The "band" itself consists of Tad Hutchinson of the Young Fresh Fellows and Chris Ballew of the Presidents of the USA, each trading duties on their small array of instruments. The songs were initially developed for Tad's animated TV show "The Shelby Jenkins Show" on local TV, but eventually blossomed into a full length album of quick and dirty pop songs that range in style from simple jazz/blues romps to 60's bubblegum pop ala The Troggs, The Turtles, and nods to the early Beach Boys. The fuzzed-out, suckerpunch style of Chris Ballew and the Presidents is definitely heard throughout the album and yields perhaps its most memorable and catchy tracks. "Jilted on the Tarmac" and "Radio Control" are frenetic, addictive pop nuggets with more unbridled energy than a double shot of espresso. While they won't earn originality points for their choice in band names, Chris & Tad have definitely found a unique niche in creating a "whole" that is greater than the sum of its parts. Jeff Shelton |