Hey Willpower - P. D. A. (2006)

Hey Willpower is an indie super duo featuring Will Schwartz of Imperial Teen and Tomo Yasuda of Tussle. Schwartz provides words and vocals, he and Yasuda collaborate on the beats and music. Together they come up with a sound that might best be described as Timberlake on a tight budget or maybe a male L'Trimm. All the songs on P.D.A. are slinky R&B jams, all the lyrics are come-ons, and the atmosphere is cutely sexy and intimate. It almost sounds real sometimes, until you hear Schwartz dropping lines like "Come and ride in my Tonka/More chips than Chips Ahoy" and realize it's not quite. In fact, most of the album sounds like a couple of kids who broke into Timbaland's studio and are gleefully goofing off. Schwartz's come-ons are silly and winking; Yasuda is fond of ultra-cheesy synths and corny drum sounds. The joy and silliness are enough to keep the record out of sleazy Har Mar Superstar territory, but it also means that there is a serious lack of substance on the record. Partway through the record the endless come-ons get tiring and the arrangements begin to sound too similar. Exceptions are the skittering, glittering "Hundredaire," which jumps out of nowhere halfway through the album and boosts the energy level immeasurably, and their re-make of Architecture in Helsinki's "Heart It Races." The latter song is a reminder that having a cool sound and a gimmick are nice but having a song with some guts and a hook mean more. Still, despite it's flaws, P.D.A. is a fun album and a bunch of the songs (including "Phenomenon" and "Uh-Uh-Uh") would sound good on a party mix CD.