Critic's Review
Nitsuh Abebe, All Music Guide
Chicago producer Dave Trumfio's style has always revolved around adding a dose of new-wave techie geekiness to the pop structures the Pixies added to the rock canon -- nowhere is this more clear than on the self-titled release by the Pulsars, the band consisting of brothers Dave and Harry Trumfio. There's not a second of the recording that's designed to deliver anything but pure pop hooks -- the album's first single, "Tunnel Song," begins with a strong bass riff straight off of the Pixies' Trompe le Monde, then drifts into a hooky chorus with an almost Def Leppard sheen to it. When the brothers' gadget-heavy pop songs work, they're quite pleasant -- but unfortunately, the pop hooks come along with slick, polished production that occasionally threatens to turn the sound to cheese.
