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There are those among the music-listening community who hold staunchly to the notion that the cream of the current-day rock and pop crops reside strictly within the independent artist scene.  While such a viewpoint is obviously debatable at best, the four lads of Fresno's The Infamous They certainly seem to be doing their part to lend credence to the notion.  Following in the footsteps of the 2000 self-titled debut EP, returning vocalist Jameson Workman and guitarist Grant Bailey have once again put their heads together to draft On Second Thought, a five-song follow-up of catchy, melodic pop/rock pieces.

The sparkling "She Flies Away" opens the proceedings, echoing the buoyant alternative pop of artists such as Lifehouse and Toad the Wet Sprocket for its narrative of love and uncertainty.  "I Think I Like It Better" favors the more oblique wording and grittier post-grunge textures of groups like Collective Soul and Better than Ezra, while the equally engaging "A Princess and a King" appropriates a slightly countrified rhythm for its fittingly forlorn look at a beloved's departure.  And the best-of-album "Far Away" (Close enough so you are near me/ Grace extends her hand to reach me) attaches an austere, yet highly poignant, lyrical section to its sweeping chorus to produce letter-perfect pop of the sweetest and most stirring kind.

As might be expected from a collection of performers this young, the band occasionally draws a bit too literally from its musical inspirations.  And some of the album's lyrics might best be defined as works in progress.  But, unlike groups that merely append the most obvious aspects of their influences to what are, by and large, mostly weak compositions, the members of the They possesses a keen appreciation of tune and dynamic that moves their songs well towards the front end of the modern pop queue.  And it is perhaps owing to the band's very youthfulness that their songs are instilled with such a sense of authenticity and immediacy.

If the above mentioned axiom is true, and the most talented groups and artists are in fact the exclusive property of the indie music domain, one might well be tempted to wish a life of relative obscurity upon the Fresno foursome.  But, whatever one's stance on the signed vs. unsigned issue, the sophomore EP holds a driving energy and razor-sharp pop sensibility that call for, and indeed merit, the widest possible audience.  To be sure, the Second Thought project stands as an eminently solid follow-on effort that points to a band well capable of forging its own distinctive sound - and one that the more savvy major labels would do well to notice.

Bert Gangl 7/20/2002