WOODENTOPS’ RANGE

GIANT.” The Woodentops. Columbia. Just a gander at a few of the song titles gives a good idea of what the English quintet is about: “Good Thing,” “So Good Today” and--most telling--”Love Affair With Everyday Living.” But songwriter/singer Rolo McGinty is no sunny-faced simp. The everyday life he’s so in love with has the bad with the good, and McGinty’s songs revel in the full range of emotions--the lyrics matched by clever, bouncy, hummable and surprise-filled music. With Benny Staples’ happy-sounding drumming setting the tone, guitars and simple keyboards float through a range from jazzy ease and lazy psychedelia to feedback-drenched intensity. On top of this, producer Bob Sargeant has added subtle touches of strings and marimbas to make a package that’s nothing short of delightful.