The 88

Los Angeles power-poppers The 88 are ready for their close-up. Painfully eager, even. Since making their debut and attracting the attention of tastemaking L.A. radio station NPR, The 88 have been much sought-after by the city's army of filmmakers. Their songs have appeared in an array of painful products from Tinseltown, from Surviving Christmas to Failure to Launch. On Not Only… But Also, The 88 swing for the fences, sounding like a band that wants to thread themselves into every movie trailer and montage for the next year.

For starters, they hooked up with a few guys who know a thing or two about hits: Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Matt Wallace, who produced Maroon 5's blockbuster Songs About Jane. They signed up with Island/Def Jam, home of The Killers and Fall Out Boy. Not Only kicks off with the fist-pumping pop-punk track "Go Go Go," which already was snapped up as a soundtrack for NASCAR. Keith Slettedahl is a limited vocalist, but he gives himself an abundance of melodic hooks to work with, and his sheer enthusiasm goes a long way in carrying the band's best sugary tracks like "Coming Home." But when things slow down, as they do on the awful ballad "No One Here," he'd be better off passing the mic over to Babyface. Five For Fighting sound macho by comparison.

Based on the evidence, The 88 are actually better off sticking to their formula. Other lowlights include the funk flop "Likes You Do" and the light orchestral ballad "Save Your Breath." That doesn't mean they'e confined to a single sound. While their best songs tend to play into the same strengths–big vocal hooks, propulsive rhythms, accessible melodies–they are capable of both the whimsical pop of OK Go and a slightly edgier sound inspired by Brit-rock.

—Adam McKibbin
10.28.08

Power pop is a genre that never seems to go out of style. Ever since the Beatles invented it back in the 1960s, each subsequent decade has spawned countless bands that specialize in tunes that walk the line between sticky sweet pop and good old-fashioned rock & roll. As evidenced by their 2008 release, Not Only...But Also, a leading candidate for the "early 21st century power pop award" is the Los Angeles, CA based trio, the 88. The group's third full-length overall (but first for major-label Island Records) was produced by a pair of gentlemen who have scored their fair share of hits over the years -- Babyface and Matt Wallace (the latter best known for his groundbreaking work with the great Faith No More). And while the majority of the album is quite upbeat (especially such jolly ditties as "Coming Home" and the album opening "Go Go Go"), there are a few detours into melancholy ("No One Here," "Save Your Breath") that momentarily break up all the sunshine. Pop music of the early 21st century is largely comprised of youngsters who seem satisfied with their mere 15 minutes of fame, but with Not Only...But Also, the 88 have put together a consistent pop album from front to back. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide