hi-five My Remix

Album Review

As a rule, remix albums are not assembled with the casual listener in mind. They're for an artist's more hardcore fans — the sort of die-hard enthusiasts who think so highly of an artist that they insist on owning everything that he/she has out. Hi-Five My Remix is no exception; this remix album is designed for hardcore fans of Boston's delightfully '80s-minded Freezepop. In various interviews, the New Englanders have downplayed their '80s influences — and on many of these remixes, they try to make their music relevant to the club/dance scene of the early 2000s. Nonetheless, Freezepop's '80s fixation still comes through loud and clear, and the campy, good-natured sense of fun that they bring to "Stakeout," "Freezepop Forever," and "Tracey Gold" takes you back to a time when Ronald Reagan was president, Fast Times at Ridgemont High was in the theaters, and MTV was playing Berlin, the Human League, Soft Cell, and Duran Duran (the sort of artists who have influenced Freezepop). And why shouldn't Freezepop be having a love affair with the '80s? A lot of infectious music came out of that decade. Most of the tunes that are remixed on this 2003 release are only heard once; however, there are no less than seven versions of the catchy "Super-Sprøde." Do casual listeners really need to hear seven different versions of "Super-Sprøde"? Of course not. But again, Hi-Five My Remix wasn't designed for casual listeners, who would better off starting out with 2001's Forever. Enjoyable but not essential, this CD is strictly for the seasoned Freezepop collector.