After the welcoming, but somewhat misleading intro, All Kidding Aside really kicks in with "When I Met The Girl", a jubilant pop nugget that`s clearly Jellyfish in spirit with a hint XTC`s Skylarking-era arrangement and production. This So-Cal trio return to that feel off and on while weaving in more contemporary radio-friendly indie-pop numbers, a swing that defines the balance between then and now. But the vocal hooks are infectious no matter how they split it. And clocking in at just under a half hour feels so refreshing that when it`s over you want to use that extra 30 minutes - that might bloat some other long-winded record - to listen to it all over again. Big Kid`s songs here were written primarily by drummer and keyboardist Steve Clark, with the exception of the baroque-pop touched ballad "Started", which was written and performed by multi-instrumentalist Noah Lifschey, the disc`s producer and mixer as well. However, it`s lead vocalist Brian Powell who is the voice of the band and he manages to cast, as Bruce Brodeen of Not Lame says, "hooks here (sic) big enough to reel in Jaws." We concur! -- Robinson, Miles Of Music (BK Productions)
