The Individuals
In America's musical grass roots there is, to borrow Jerry Lee Lewis' pertinent phrase, a "whole lotta shakin' goin' on." Of the young musicians who have made it to a nationally released debut LP, the Individuals show some of the greatest promise. With the passing of "punk" and "new wave" as useful labels, the big umbrella for new groups now seems to be "pop"—implying tight song structures, jagged but danceable rhythms, melodic hooks and a clean, lean sound. Glenn Morrow, lead singer and main songwriter of the New York-spawned Individuals, says the quartet's goal is "agitpop"—pop with an aggressive socially conscious edge. Morrow's own lyrics, which range from relationships, Leap of Faith, to metaphorical fantasies, My Three Sons (Revolve Around the Earth), provide some of that quality in Fields. Most of what makes the debut so stimulating, though, is musical—the terse interplay of two guitars and a bass, the clever shading provided by Janet Wygals' background vocals, and the overall parity each instrument and voice enjoys.
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