hen it’s slow at work, I like to sit out back in the sun and daydream. Most of the time, my daydreams consist of shiny pink robots flying their convertible hover cars over meadows full of pristine white daisies and frolicking puppies. The robots feed candy to the puppies then jet off into space to go party at the newest, hippest, astro-beatnik club. There is a laser light show, drinks with umbrellas and fruit in them, funky music, and robot dancing. If this world was real, Buffalo Daughter would be the house band at the astro-beatnik club. Their music sounds like what might happen if someone uploaded ABBA, Pizzicato Five, and Metallica records into the Kraftwerk robots. For Buffalo Daughter, music is an idealistic world where big riffs, moog squeals, and pop harmonies live happily hand in hand.


Since their first album, Buffalo Daughter has stuck to pretty much the same formula album after album. Basically, two girls singing over electronic pop. Simple. With each album, the arrangements have become more lush, and the songs more complex. They finally hit their stride with 1998’s excellent New Rock. The songs didn’t have the novelty feel of the earlier efforts, they had become bigger and meatier. There was a warm, beating heart underneath the cool exterior of robot voices and drum machines. New Rock ended with the charming and surprisingly heart wrenching “Jellyfish Blues”. A vocodored voice lamenting “All that I want is your love babe/ All that I need is your love”, while ocean sounds and plunking noises plip-plopped through the background. It was the perfect ending to the otherwise endless funk and groove of the rest of the album, and it promised great things to come.


Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. I returns with the big sound and lush arrangements, but stagnates in it. It feels like they basically re-wrote New Rock with a new batch of sound effects and synths. The leading track, “Ivory”, starts where “Jellyfish Blues” left off. Singers Sugar and Yumiko sing what sounds like an outtake from a Petra Hayden solo album. And then the guitars come in. Quite pleasant, really. Then the bouncy beat. Nice. But really, this is becoming like the 9th season of Friends. Repetitive. Time for a new trick.


This is not to say that I is terrible. It’s just not better than the last album. Which hey, is saying a lot these days. Many bands can’t even keep the pace up. Don’t make me mention any names here.... –cough!- Built to Spill, Mercury Rev, and Spiritualized – cough! -...... At least Buffalo Daughter has made another album that is fun and interesting. Also, despite the presence of a few rehashed tracks and the utterly useless and annoying, “I Know”, which just repeats the phrase, “I know.” over and over and over in different tones, there are some killer damn songs here. “Earth Punk Rockers” is a ballsy little tune with dirty, fuzzy riffs and AC/DC attitude. It’s fun. “Five Minutes” sounds like a Nine Inch Nails track hijacked by sexy Japanamation characters. Buffalo Daughter has written the best Air song in years, or at least that’s what “Moog Stone” sounds like. Closer, “A Completely Identical Dream” is a quirky little number chock full of squeaks and bells and meandering guitar. It’s got lyrics about bubbles and “bright, shiny, white light”. It’s optimistic and happy and just like me- in waiting for the next Buffalo Daughter album.