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Playground Affair

~by Melanie Campbell, Backstage Pass Magazine, February 2003

    Meanwhile, closer to home, the spirit of the late, great Replacements lives on in theDiligents! These Orlando-by-way-of-New Jersey guys have just released their fourth full-length disc, this one full of original songs that would make Paul Westerberg simply pea-green with envy. We won't speculate that if Westerberg had just kept drinking, he might never have had to worry about such a thing ‹besides, that might imply that theDiligents are a buncha drunks. Which evidently isn't the case, as their live shows at Frank's Front Row and Beaches prove ‹yours truly has never seen them in any position on stage other than upright. Anyway, Playground Affair is a right tight, snappy little disc, chock full of revved-up-pop-storytelling tunes ("Melissa Mile-High" and "Lake Crystal Drive"), straightforward rockers ("The Blame"), and a splendid cover of the Beatles' "Help." Worthy of more airplay than it's getting now is "Spin The Bottle," with lyrical references that will bring a tear to the eyes of anyone who grew up in the 60s and 70s. Who would¹ve thought that a reference to Mr. McFeely could sound so smooth in a rock-n-roll song! Don't miss this one! 

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Last modified: August 29, 2006