Exclaim reviews Monkeypuzzle
Exclaim! (Canada), February 1999
Reviews: Ian Danzig
Art pop has become a rarity of late, but Baby Ray is here to save the day. Bubbling pop hooks with exquisite melodic progressions are all pulled together with inventive arrangements and frantically complex rhythms. Fronted by vocalist/guitarist Erich Groat (who also plays in the Willard Grant Conspiracy), this Boston guitar quartet expands pure pop frontiers. Imagine an early 80's XTC that continued to experiment with song structures, combined with the hot chops of Phish. The songs on Monkeypuzzle are so full of ideas and energy, it's hard to believe that this is the band's debut. A shining example of ear candy that also acts as brain food.