The Androids’s lead singer Tim Henwood is not your typical rock god. He’s got a mediocre rock whine and, on the cover of his band’s self-titled debut, he sports a T-shirt with a calculator on it. But what the Androids lack in archetypal pretense, they make up for with hardy melodies, clever lyrics and a healthy dose of exuberance. Luckily for them (and us, for that matter) they make all of these things readily available. The album’s opening song, “Hey You!,” begins with a coupling of stuttering guitars and drum loops and quickly erupts into an expertly sweetened hook, while tracks like the concise “Cynical” and “Bored” provide a winning combo of metal guitar riffs and pop melodies. Like a less-earnest Starsailor, the Androids question whether women truly are from Venus (“She’s an Alien”) and grasp for inspiration on the inspiring “Let Me Down,” declaring “They say they’ll replace you” without, perhaps, knowing the profundity of such a statement. If that weren’t enough to seal the deal, Henwood wrote “Do It with Madonna,” a surefire ticket to fame, even if it’s for only 15 minutes. The cheeky tune is a future pop-culture relic, dismissing Christina’s body, Pink’s attitude and Britney’s butt for the Material Girl, “what a woman’s supposed to be.” Even when considering a romp with Kylie, Henwood queries: “I wonder if I could get Kylie to want to do it with Madonna.” While other new bands would have us believe they’re in it for the fun, The Androids don’t cast a doubt.
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