** Shallow

HIGH FLYIN' KID STUFF

(Zero Hour)

Growing up in Kansas City (the one in Kansas) would have left Shallow bassist/ guitarist Jason Shields and his wife, singer/guitarist Julie Shields, free from any qualms about copping sonic narcotics from a couple of obscure British artists. I mean, there couldn't have been too many Kansas kids lining up to buy Spaceman 3's Taking Drugs (To Make Music To Take Drugs To) back in 1990. But the Shields sound as if they'd spent more than a few afternoons basking in the twisted psychedelic haze generated by Peter Kember (a/k/a Sonic Boom) and Jason Pierce (now of Spiritualized). Nothing wrong with a little hero worship -- Kember even returned the flattery by remixing a couple of Shallow tunes last year. It's just that Shallow aren't quite in the same league as the crew of Spacemen 3 when it comes to zoning out on a lysergic astral plane. With its mix of cute, little-girl vocals, spiraling guitar textures, and tidy pop arrangements accented by the occasional tape loop or burst of distortion, High Flyin' Kid Stuff does just what its title claims, hovering safely and pleasantly enough within the confines of the Earth's atmosphere.

-- Matt Ashare