6.2001

The Cautions (CD Review)
By Bob Gulla
The Providence Phoenix

The Providence Phoenix June 21, 2001-

OK, so now that Weezer's on the huge side once again (I, for one, thought they were long, long gone), the sound of The Cautions, a band straddling the Providence-Boston axis, comes off like a fresh Krispy Kreme, with just enough sweetness and heft to feel like you're getting your money's worth. Comprised of lead singer and guitarist Eric Barao, lead guitarist Jeff Caglarcan, bassist Matthew Boynton, and drummer Chris Newbern, The Cautions straddle the power-pop line separating Weezer and The Cars, Gary Numan, and The Posies. The guitars feel sturdy, the songwriting solid, the performances passionate. Both Caglarcan and Barao met at the Berklee College of Music, so they have a little built-in cred, technically speaking.

Their eponymous debut, recorded and mixed at Diamond Hill studios in Cumberland and engineered by Barry Martin, is a brief but potent trip through the wry and entertaining world of The Cautions. To wit, Barao sings on the crunching break-up tune, "Out of Print," "Now that you've said it's final/I want back my fucking vinyl!" (Remind you of Ben Folds?) "Game Show" cribs its guitar solo from "Jeopardy," while the heavy opening guitar salvo of "Groove Baby Groove" is almost certainly tongue-in-cheek.

There's much to like on The Cautions, and little to criticize. That is, if you, like me, dig deeply the timeless power-pop melodies of bands like, oh, you know- one of them ends with "Crush."