Moth Flutters in Weezer's Footsteps
By: Evan Thorne - Chicago Daily Herald
September 17th 2002 7:47pm
MOTH, "Provisions, Fiction and Gear" (Virgin Records) *** MOTH is a band that fluttered to the lightbulb originally turned
on by Weezer in the mid-'90s. But unlike some of the band's swarm-
mates, such as Jimmy Eat World and the Alkaline Trio, MOTH embraces
not only the "emo-punk" side of the music, but also the "geek-rock"
element that has always made Weezer so endearing. And they pull it
off with more style than anyone before or since Weezer has ever
managed. MOTH is four guys in suits who play weird rock 'n' roll music,
and is one of the only bands that would sound equally comfortable in
Buddy Holly's horn-rimmed glasses as in Thursday's ripped jeans and
T-shirts. MOTH is also one of the only bands that doesn't add a
number to their name and doesn't misspell their name, but insists on
having the letters in their name capitalized. Coincidence? Most
likely. From the energetic ... well, energy of the hit single "I See
Sound" to the wistful "Burning Down my Sanity," MOTH may not have
anything new to offer, but it does a very good job at offering
something old. Brad Stenz has a voice that is easily mistaken for
Rivers Cuomo, and MOTH would do well on any Weezer tribute due to
the usage of both thick, lush distortion on the guitars and crisp,
clear clean tones. Weezer is not the only band to influence this group, though. Also
clearly audible are elements of the White Stripes, the Hives, the
Strokes, and similar "retro-minded" rock groups, a category which
MOTH fits in just as well as the "geek-rock" one. But the band's
thought-provoking lyrics and clever instrumentation make it a cut
above the rest. The production is just muddy enough to give the songs some life,
but not so muddy it interferes with the music itself-even the
frantically chanted "I see sound, from all around" in the single is
perfectly understandable. In the end, MOTH is nothing new at all, but the band puts a nice
spin on an old tune, so to speak. The band's unabashed weirdness,
their illustrious use of guitars, and their wall of sound, sing-
along choruses make "Provisions, Fiction and Gear" an excellent
album to start the school year with.
 (C) 2002 Chicago Daily Herald. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
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