Fudge
"Southside Speedway" CD (Caroline)
If it wasn't for the euphoric "Tree Fort Stash," this album would be a nearly complete waste of time. Their debut had some filler but included enough great cuts to make up for the padding. On their second, the filler crushes the few worthy moments under waves of boring guitar riffs without the melodies that make "Tree Fort Stash" so much fun. Sure, Fudge adopted a tougher sound, and it wouldn't be inappropriate to say they learned how to rock. However, in that process, they left out quite a bit of what made their music enjoyable. Fudge probably just hasn't hit their stride yet. They may need three or four albums under their belt to finally make a truly great record, but as songs like "Tree Fort Stash" and "Drive" from their debut attest, the potential is there.