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Parallax Project “I Hate Girls”
by Beverly Paterson in Album Reviews
Parallax Project “I Hate Girls” (Kool Kat Musik 2026)
Sitting behind the boards on “I Hate Girls” is Don Dixon, which is a good fit, considering Parallax Project are purveyors of things that go pop in the night, and that’s indeed the genre of music the noted knob twirler is generally recognized and praised for. The actual ringleader of the band is Michael Giblin, who not only possesses a neat voice and strums a mean guitar, but writes witty and catchy tunes.
It’s no exaggeration to say every single track on “I Hate Girls” is absolutely fantastic. Strong hooks, attended by compact arrangements and totally together instrumentation are staples of Parallax Project. Pronounced by a piercing riff smacking of power pop royalty, “All The Same” gets the album off to a roaring start and sets the standard of excellence for the remainder of the material.
Stitched of incisive breaks and a cranky, sarcastic mood, the title cut of the disc concludes to a blast of choppy six-string plucking that brings to mind Chuck Berry, while “Waiting To Pull The Trigger,” with its hard driving motions and air of excitement, continues to emphasize Parallax Project’s penchant for pinning crafty pop sensibilities to a rocking beat. Elsewhere on “I Hate Girls,” visions of Squeeze, Cotton Mather, The Kinks and Crowded House are sighted. Sophisticated structures and melodies tempered by a stabbing undercurrent are the ingredients responsible for allowing the music to tick. The sole cover on the record is “Needle In A Haystack” by The Velvettes, which in the able hands of Parallax Project is turned into a pure pop pleasure.
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