Disco de The Like: “Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?”

To give it to you straight, I've been having a problem with some of the gunk that passes for music these days. I've been glum. Maybe it's the cynicism I'm hearing from people barely out their teens, but maybe it's crummy songwriting skills too. Whether it's My Morning Jacket's "critically acclaimed" album Z or just about anything else purporting to be "new" or "groundbreaking," I'm just a little bored over whatever it is that's supposed to be coming across to me. Most of it's blurry, and barely literate lyrics lie like cowering hamsters beneath avalanches of so many sound effects that the songs might as well not have words anyway, and worse the musicianship is almost always questionable. Listen: This isn't a problem that comes with maturity.

But here I am, speeding down the Mansfield Highway, the one here in Texas hill country, the one named after the legendary Jane Mansfield, heading for a Halloween Hootenanny near Stephenville, and my buddy and I are reaching for the volume switch--repeatedly--turning up The Like. For crusty semi-retreads like us, people who've already heard almost all there is to hear, to the point that the homeless guy who goes out and bangs on the dumpster by the apartment window is starting to sound like Ginger Baker, at this point, in this car, my buddy and I are hearing refreshing things from a trio of high school girls.

Totally, the music of The Like honestly and unaffectedly captures the lush puerility of early adulthood, and though that's a little jarring at first, especially to a guy who is freakin' old, The Like, more than any group I've heard in years, rates high on my vaunted "chill factor" rating system. If a song gives you chills, the musicians are communicating beyond mere artiness. And this collection is jamming with chilly stuff.

I won't compare The Like to The Sundays--or to anybody else. But I would like to see these chicks live someday, because if they can repeat what they're doing on this album in a setting full of shuffling shoe-gazers and wheezing drunks, then I'll be on board with The Like for a long time to come. Good job, girls.

By the way, there are songs on this album. Songs. The musicianship on the songs is often rich, many layered and almost organically electric in a way that conveys, well, songs. Nobody's trying to prove anything either. The harmonies are like crystal roses. I am over the age of 13, but you know what? I almost don't feel like it.

I've been a fan of The Like for about a year, and finally after all that waiting, there is a finished product sitting on store shelves. The waiting was worth it, because this is a phenomenal album.

Tennessee Thomas starts the album off with a bang as she pounds on her drums in June Gloom. The melancholy lyrics of this song set against a great pop/rock beat are reminiscent of The Killers' hit from earlier this year, Mr Brightside. Next is the hard rocking What I Say And What I Mean, the first single from the album. It's one of the best tracks on the album without a doubt.

The haunting (So I'll Sit Here) Waiting has a Pixies-ish sound and a hypnotic bass line. The hardest rocking song on the album is Under The Paving Stones, which opnes with guitar that sounds a lot like London Calling by the Clash. The lyrics have great meaning too. And on Too Late, Z Berg shows off her amazing vocals as she sings a cappella.

The album never falters. And neither do The Like. They are just as excellent live as they are on record. From the drum-pounding opening track June Gloom to the dreary, dreamy Waves That Never Break ending the album, Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? is the perfect combination of beautiful vocals, nice instrument playing, and meaningful lyrics. 5 stars for this wonderful debut album. It was certainly well worth the wait.

I had heard the first single from The Like, "What I Say and What I Mean", and it had stuck i my mind for long enough that i decided i needed to purchase the CD.

How refreshing to hear an all-female band that can both sing and play well. Their harmonies are outstanding and the beats catchy. The lead singer's voice is clear and expressive- a bit similar to Bjork- and so great to listen too. Their sound is pretty unique to my ears, but i can hear similarities to various artists-- The Cranberries, Six Pense None the Richer, Ellis, Coldplay, No Doubt and maybe a little Marcy Playground thrown in there. But the sound is all their own.

Overall, i really enjoy this album, and feel it is quality work.

This cd was a good Christmas present and I practically listen to it every day.Out of all the songs my favorite is what I say and what I mean because it's a great song to dance to.All the other songs are great too with slow and fast balads.Out of all the cd's I got for christmas this year this one is my favorite.

I have followed the like for about two years. My friend brought me to a concert, and I instantly fell in love with the band. Z commands the audience, having a great stage presence. Charlotte holds the bass. Tennessee keeps the rhythm. The first three EP's captured the young, raw sound of the band. Through growth and technology, they have cleaned up their sound and created this first album.

I knock of a star because I personally liked the raw, gritty sound of their EP's. The rare slight flaws in the EP's brings back the memories of the live concerts.

The lyrics that Z put out there are not straight forward tales of love and woe; they are intricate poems that stimulate your mind and heart. And the delivery of music by the band is nostalgic of the past greats.