The Canon, Examined: The World Record – ‘Guitars Forever’

I’ve noticed a trend of naive — I’m presuming they’re naive; presumably they think they’re jaded — young college students spitting in the face of Los Angeles’ possibilities just as they’ve become old enough to explore them. L.A. is shallow! they cry. It’s a black hole covered in glitter! This is the stuff of smoky balcony conversations and drunken Facebook wall posts.

This may apply to Kress and Don Antonio’s (which I hear is really good when Heidi and Spencer aren’t there, and probably when they are, too), but L.A. has too many buried treasures to bludgeon it with generalizations. To wit: The World Record, a power-pop band that picks up right where Fountains of Wanye left off circa That Thing You Do!, flannel-shirted, bespectacled and cranked to 11. They hail from the city of Angels, and I love them.

And I didn’t know they existed. Somehow Guitars Forever has gone two years without my notice. It has the best album title of all time and the songs are almost as good. All of them make me want to roll down every window on the 405. Do you like movies? Do you like museums? Do you like dancing? Do you like ice cream? The band sings on “Watch Out For Love,” and I think, and hope, you know the answer.

The World Record – “We’re #1”: mp3

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The Canon, Examined is an occasional series spotlighting the finest records to ever slip through the cracks. For previous installments, click below.