The Hi-Fives - And A Whole Lotta You! (1997)

The Hi-Fives describe themselves as "beat-punk," which is a fairly accurate description; they've basically updated the garagey side of 1960s British beat music by channeling it through modern pop and punk. It's a sound that's interesting at first -- a lot like the frantic energy of rockabilly -- but beyond that, there's not much in the Hi-Fives' songs to make the album interesting. And a Whole Lotta You blasts through 16 songs (14 of them under two minutes), including a cover of Gloria Jones's "Tainted Love" -- and in the end, nothing really sticks out aside from their ability to bash furiously through a song before you've even noticed its melody. For those fascinated with garage, beat, and rockabilly, it's certainly a worthwhile album, but for anyone else, the Hi-Fives are the sort of band that's best heard at a cheap live show.~ Review by Nitsuh Abebe