POP STARS **** Great Balls of Fire...

POP STARS **** Great Balls of Fire *** Good Vibrations ** Maybe Baby * Running on Empty

HUGO LARGO “Mettle.” Opal/Warner Bros.

*** The dictionary defines mettle as an inherent quality of character and temperament; being prepared to put one’s spirit or courage to the test. Hugo Largo is a pretty fearless bunch, unafraid of being precious or dippy as it explores its moody sense of wonder at the natural order of things. The New York group’s unusual two-bass, one-violin lineup provides a floating landscape for vocalist Mimi Goese, who takes her helium-voiced histrionics from a whisper to a scream. Risking the ridiculous, Largo occasionally stumbles into folksy-artsy potholes; Goese’s stream of consciousness Japanese lesson, “Ohio” is too cute for any language. But just as often, a sense of joy and exploration sweeps you along in the momentum of the self-discovery. At turns resonantly beautiful, childishly playful and indulgently oblique, Largo makes few compromises, requiring listeners to test their own spirit as well.