Lost On Belmont Avenue

Although the Roomates formed in 1987, and the 30 songs on this CD weren't recorded until about 20 years later, the sound is very much like that of a doo wop group of the late '50s and early '60s. The production is clear and certainly not at all lo-fi, but the simple instrumentation, upfront harmonies, and basic, catchy material could almost lead many listeners to mistake these for early-'60s recordings. As the very title of the record indicates, the quartet is very influenced by white East Coast doo wop groups such as Dion & the Belmonts, and those familiar with the form will also hear similarities to the Elegants, the Mystics, and the Earls. Steve Webb, Glenn Brentnall, and Nick Kennedy all take their share of lead vocals, and most of the material, unusually for a retro ensemble such as this, is original, usually from the pen of Webb or Kennedy. Because it's not a record of classic covers, but it's certainly in a retro style, listening to the CD can be an odd experience: none of the songs are on the order of the great doo wop classics, but the caliber of the tunes are way above the average of what actual doo wop groups were recording on their LP filler tracks and non-hit 45s. It's certainly nostalgic and romantic in tone, the mood getting set by the very first line of the first track, when Webb sings — in a composition titled "Echoes of the Past," no less — "Do you remember the days in New York?" To remind us that these guys do have huge record collections, there are also interpretations of obscure numbers by the Safaris, Del Satins, Otis & the Distants, the Bob Knight Four, the Elegants, Eddie Hodges, the Chariots, and the Searchers (a different outfit than the British Invasion group). And to prove that they have actually listened to records postdating 1964, there are surprising covers of the Choir's mid-'60s pop-garage classic "It's Cold Outside" and Neil Young's "Wonderin'," arranged doo wop style.