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Freeplay: TeamAWESOME!
By William Crook
wcrook@mscd.edu

TeamAWESOME! TeamAWESOME! Greatest Hits! Vol. 1! (Stillsoft recordings, 2005)

On TeamAWESOME!’s debut album, TeamAWESOME! Greatest Hits! Vol.1!, there is enough sugar-pop to make a person diabetic. The 21 individually wrapped, two-minute servings of synth-pop offer themes ranging from making new friends and falling in love to generosity, camaraderie and community building, most of which are veiled through ostentations like taking rocket ship rides, sharing the slide on the playground, or building forts.

Of the more charming aspects of TeamAWESOME!, Teammate Kara’s raps are among the top. She takes the styles of customary rap and applies it to the themes used by the band, resulting in a fluid, masterful amalgam of two quite disparate musical veins. When combined with Teammate Chuck’s sweet, simple and emotional melodies, the result is nothing less than pretty pop of the highest order.

The music itself may be the sweetest thing of all inorporating any of a score of instruments, such as a Fisher Price xylophone, a Casio keyboard, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, triangles, a drum machine, an accordion, a cello and anything else that makes a sound when it is hit, strummed or shaken. There’s even a vocoder used to great effect in the track “The Best Part of the Year.” These sounds are all melted down into a sweet, simple sonic lollipop that cntributes to the super-adorable TeamAWESOME! experience.

The band members admittedly don’t always know how to play all of the instruments, but what they lack in technical mastery, they more than make up for in heart.

A small part of the charm of TeamAWESOME! is lost in listening to the album, as the live performances typically feature such attractions as life-sized papier mâché flower trees and rocket ships, and the now-infamous cinnamon roll hug. Those elements really add to the experience and the band is best enjoyed live.

Just don’t forget to bring along the insulin.