Unsolicited CD Review #2 : Hello Tokyo - Sell the Stars

so I get a lot of free CDs in the mail. Today's is Hello Tokyo's album "Sell the Stars."

One of my main determinants in whether I listen to a CD is A. is it metal, and B. how's the album cover. I tend to get a lot of metal CDs - if you want them, let me know. As for the album cover, if it looks cheesy or has a lame font, odds are the album will be similarly cheesy or lame. If it looks professional and/or cool, then maybe the band is also professional and/or cool - the odds increase, at least. Maybe that's a dumb way to do things, but I usually get a CD a week or so, and I haven't heard of most of the bands.

As for this CD, Hello Tokyo has a nice album cover, and they play in DC a fair amount,so I assumed they were a DC band. They're actually from Brooklyn, a three-piece power pop group with a female singer. The album is well-produced and all, but it's basically mid-90s style power pop - think Material Issue, the Smithereens, Catatonia, Magnapop, or Matthew Sweet's non-good tracks. The music doesn't really stand out and the singer is a little too over-the-top for me. If you're into that genre of music, check them out. Otherwise, steer clear. But hey, just my opinion.