Two for One: Young Fresh Fellows and Minus 5, 'I Think This Is' / 'Killingsworth'

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SCOTT MCCAUGHEY IS a much less well-known name than it deserves to be. The Seattle-based guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist is the mastermind behind '80s college-radio favorites the Young Fresh Fellows and '90s indie rockers The Minus 5, as well as a collaborator with R.E.M. on some of its later albums.

"The Young Fresh Fellows?" you say. "Weren't they name-checked in the fairly obscure song 'Twisting' by They Might Be Giants?" It's true, and it's also probably not a coincidence that The Minus 5 released its debut album through a They Might Be Giants-owned mail-order record club.

The kinship between YFF and TMBG -- two of the wittiest, most pop-culture-reference-spewing bands of the last 25 years -- is obvious, but YFF exudes a slightly more mainstream, power-pop persona. While TMBG's John and John were singing elaborate, cryptic songs about purple toupees, YFF's McCaughey was bluntly skewering pop music with "Amy Grant."

Very much unlike the hugely prolific Giants since, though, YFF went into hiding for a long period, emerging only to put out some all-new material in 2001 on "Because We Hate You," half of a split album with The Minus 5.

They return again now, again with their negative-numeral counterparts, with another split album: "I Think This Is" and "Killingsworth," respectively. YFF has been off the radar long enough that their straight-up pop sound is novel once again, and absolutely welcome in a current music scene often dominated by electro-whatsis and feedback-whosits.

Think Fountains of Wayne meets 1960s sunshine pop, with the most upbeat riffs you'll hear this year (unless maybe Sloan is planning a new album), and in true pop fashion, most of the songs don't even come close to 3 minutes.

"Lamp Industries" carries a lighthearted Brit-pop sensibility complete with nostalgia and handclaps; "Suck Machine Crater" bounces along at a sturdy surf-rock beat.

"Let The Good Times Crawl" has the clever, self-referential lyrics and the psychedelic sound down pat ("Let the high times fall / like a burning man from a fire escape / Man that building's tall / How'd you get me up there in the first place?"). The titles of the rest of the songs will probably be an indication of whether you're interested -- "Go Blue Angels Go," "YOUR Mexican Restaurant," "After Suicide," "If You Believe in Cleveland." (If you do, Cleveland believes in you too.)

McCaughey's voice isn't always melodically reliable, but it serves its noble purpose as a vehicle for YFF's earnest silliness; similarly, there's nothing technically marvelous about any of the guitar-strumming or drum-beating, but it has the mood-altering power to make your foot start tapping. While these might very well be their last new songs about everything and nothing, YFF will certainly keep all the fans they had and maybe collect a few new ones before the end.

And fortunately, the world doesn't have to end with the death of Young Fresh Fellows, since McCaughey has turned his attention recently to the other side of the songwriting tracks, The Minus 5. Less playful than but just as lyrically deft as YFF, The Minus 5 features more alt-rock, more twang and more guest stars.

Appearing on "Killingsworth" in addition to regular member Peter Buck (also of R.E.M.) are Ken Stringfellow (of The Posies), Willy Vlautin (of country rockers Richmond Fontaine), and just about all of the Decemberists.

There are serious melodic chops and wit put to use on "Killingsworth," from the (ironic) high point "The Disembowelers" to the rather romantic "Your Favorite Mess" and the down-home, religiously tongue-in-cheek "I Would Rather Sacrifice You." It takes longer to grab you than the immediate accessibility of "I Think This Is," but "Killingsworth" is the perfect down-tempo counterpart to McCaughey's '80s alter ego.

Written by Express contributor Afton Lorraine Woodward
Photos courtesy Yep Roc Recordings