The Feelies bridged the gap of what is punk rock and new wave with ‘Crazy Rhythms’ and conceived what is probably the purest example of what post-punk music should sound like. With its utilization of clean jangly guitar tone and strong emphasis on percussion the album not only laid out the ground work for a genre but also managed to become a unique entity to the music scene at the time as well as heavily influencing a decade of musicians.
Despite the punchy drum work and up tempo drive the album traverses smoothly. The production is slick even by today’s standards. The entire album is high energy build ups and a nearly goofy conglomeration of serious and silly musical segments. This simply adds to the ‘don’t take this to serious’ vibration that the whole release glows with. The work just breathes out quirky elements that make it very difficult to not enjoy. Nothing about it is repetitive and this is its strongest suit. It is driving, ironic, quirky, and fun. The songwriting is straightforward in a very endearing sort of way; this simplicity makes the album accessible at times where it otherwise may not be. Tracks like "Fa Cé-La” which comes across as kooky and musically polished. Later it jumps to numbers such as “Original Love” which is also a sound track musically but it brings a touch of emotional fluidity and honest lyrical depictions that can be felt on a more interpersonal level.
‘Crazy Rhythms’ is basically forty-three minutes of excellent times to be had. The music contains an abundance of feel good vibes; most notably “Raised Eyebrow” and the title track leave a sweet but not abundantly so taste in ones mouth. For a debut album The Feelies truly did a remarkable job imagining and generating the work that is ‘Crazy Rhythms’. Defining what will emit from a genre for nearly a decade and simply stepping out of musical trend such as punk rock and changing elements to make something unique is not only rebellious in its own right but also a very daring thing to set out on. ‘Crazy Rhythms’ is an album that will be regarded highly for decades to come and will remain iconic for its explorative and revolutionary demeanor.
