June 2005

Proceed With... The Cautions CD Review
By Gail Worley

On its sophomore CD, Boston post-post-new wave quartet, The Cautions, stays true to its major influences ­ Elvis Costello, The Cars and Weezer­ while taking its thoroughly joyful, keyboard-driven, hard-rock-guitar- infused pop to the next level. Vocalist Eric Barao still works his pipes in a flawless homage to Get Happy-era Costello while the band delivers ridiculously melodic, whip smart and hook sharp songs that often best even the lyrical schadenfreude of Rivers Cuomo. Stand out cuts on this very fine 16 track disc include the bands backhanded slap in the face to all those popular bands that, live, are "too cool to play your big hit song" ("Big Hit Song"), a modern-day masochist's love song to the girlfriend who loves him "Execution Style," and a truly transcendent pop gem that adds a little Chris Isaak flavor to the mix, "I Dream of Jeanine." Also including a hidden live track, "Coffee Shop Girl," one of the band's sublimely hilarious offerings from its first disc, Proceed WithThe Cautions is one of my favorite pop albums of 2005 so far.

­ Gail Worley