John "Speedo" Reis is, without a doubt, one of
underground music's finest showmen, and it could also be argued that he's the
most underappreciated frontman from the alt-rock '90s. Not to dismiss his work
with Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, Sultans, etc., but Reis always
seemed to put his best foot forward with Rocket From The Crypt, and he's
injected The Night Marchers with a similarly ecstatic mix of ferocious
garage-rock and populist pop. As always, this stuff is better suited for the
stage, and it would be foolish not to assume that horns could make The Night
Marchers even better, but with the assistance of a band that includes a couple
of fellow ex-Snakes, Reis has made his best record since Rocket's Scream,
Dracula, Scream!
heyday. Simple certainly doesn't equal thin on See You In Magic, a 47-minute blitzkrieg
bop that balances punky stompers with perfectly subdued moments like "Panther
In Crime" and "We're Goin' Down." The latter even finds Reis' rough croon
somehow making Armageddon sound truly wonderful.