Review Summary: 70s soft rock that grooves to the sounds of warm nostalgia
Tim Heidecker (star of Adult Swim's Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job!) and Davin Wood (composer for the same show) sack the comedic antics of Awesome Show's many hilarious jingles for a 70s inspired soft-rock expose; tributing to the styles of The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, and The Eagles. While there is still a comedic air surrounding the music, its subtle enough to not become the focal point of a casual listen. Rather, it's used as a suggestive remark to their surprisingly unique musicianship. Now, as Pep Pep is out cooking hotdogs on the sunset range, take a load off in one of their twelve comfortable lawn chairs.
Starting From Nowhere boasts your typical dad-rock, but with a warmer and more loose structure, inviting random grooves and glorious climaxes to shine in the open daylight. Take a track like "Life On The Road", which starts out as a soft tale about the low-ends of fame, before whipping into shape as a drum kit kicks through the pessimism and jams out funky grooves and open-desert harmonies. "Right or Wrong" showcases similar structure, building up from stadium synthesizers to a full out jungle jam, as bursting harmonies and tribal cues go wild. The only flaw within the music is the flow of the lyrics, which sound contrived and a bit out of place at times, although most of the time they go hand-and-hand with the aforementioned comedic air Heidecker and Wood ride.
Starting From Nowhere isn't going to be for everybody, but it has the potential to satisfy through its delightful arrangements and carefree atmosphere. The most evident example of this is on "A Song For Father", a song which manages to evoke nostalgic childhood memories of watching old Bob Vila tapes and Home Improvement episodes with my own father. Overall Starting From Nowhere is an honest and damn refreshing listen in the commercial world of bank accounts, hype, and trend setting egos, and for that it's an album worth rooting for.
