First and foremost: their name is super lame. Let's just get that out of the way. Saddle Creek recording artists UUVVWWZ (pronounced "double you, double vee, double double you, zee," as described by the band) release their first, self-titled LP this Tuesday, and their ambition is admirable. Unfortunately, UUVVWWZ's polish and direction throughout the album seem a bit misplaced. While UUVVWWZ starts off with quite an impressionable bang, the latter part of the album sputters into 8 minute jams that go absolutely nowhere. However, the effort by the band is at least a fresh, new direction amidst a sea of whiny indie rock -- and quite a blast of fresh air for a label like Omaha's Saddle Creek.
The album, as mentioned earlier, starts off strong with tracks like "Berry Can" and "Shark Suit" -- the latter being quite possibly the album's finest track. It shows off the rollicking, frenetic vocals of lead singer Teal Gardner -- a nice mix of Karen O. and just a hint of Tina Weymouth. She really does give the band their unique quality -- one that goes a long way amongst the bevy of male vocal-lead indie rock.