Pieces

The Pieces might not be an instantly recognisable name, but some of the band members might be a bit more familiar. There’s a whole lot of talent here, starting with Vess Ruhtenberg who was previously in United States Three and Antenna and is the band’s main songwriter. Add to that Heidi Gluck (who was in Some Girls with Juliana Hatfield) and Devon Ashley, and on paper at least, it would seem that the Pieces are a force to be reckoned with. Luckily they do back it up with a debut album that really does deliver on its potential. The vocal interplay between Ruhtenberg and Gluck is one of the band’s strongest features, although the ability to write a good pop song that conjures up images of the Lemonheads, Matthew Sweet and Cracker doesn’t hurt either. It might be the best album you’ll hear all year, but it is not even close to being the worst. There’s barely a weak moment between the dozen songs and it would appear this trio have finally found a music project that will live up to both their and our expectations.