Reviews for the Special EP: Demo Universe | 1340 Mag | Ear Candy | Phase 9 | Splendid | Amplifier | Score Rocks | Left Off The Dial | Deep Fry Bonanza | Indieville

Review from Demo Universe October 2003
Imaginary bill follows up its spectacular 2000 debut with a three-song EP that's disappointing only in its brevity. Steve Rouach's strange, grim worldview finds full expression in the title track, a differently abled lament that makes Radiohead's "Creep" sound like a motivational tape: "You can't play if you're up/and your syndrome is down/Just a face in a cage/when your head isn't round." Another happy ditty, "Cookie" casts a harsh light on drunken Eve, "trading her handshakes for blowjobs." I can't quite suss out what "Corduroy Dancers" is all about, but it sure sounds good. Special is no great departure musically from their Britpop-inspired debut, but that's fine, as I'm nowhere near tired of Imaginary bill. -Jim Santo

Review from 1340Mag.com March 2003
Someone sign these guys. Please, somebody sign these guys. Imaginary bill's "Special" is one of the strongest independent releases we have ever gotten here at 1340mag.com. We see hundreds of indie cds each year and I am pleased to say that if you do not take our advice and check these guys out, you will be missing something that will make your music listening experience a whole lot better. This is plain and simply power pop. No matter what style of music you like, you will be singing these songs in no time. Good is good and great is great and Imaginary bill is great. This is THE band to watch in 2003. If someone doesn't make them music superstars the world will be a worse place and it will solidify the fact that mainstream labels have no taste. Key Song: "Cookie" -Mark Fisher

Review from Ear Candy March 2003
From the opening song Imaginary bill grabs your attention with a nice hard riff and doesn't let go. A good guitar solo follows with the lyrics, "is she wrapped too tight for me?" She probably is fella's. The next song asks the seminal question, "why did you make me special?". Um dunno. The last song has a throbbing bassline that made my head hurt and grab for the tylenol. Two out of three ain't bad I suppose. Pick this one up for a couple of bucks. I want to hear the full length when it comes out. -Bunkypunk

Review from Phase9 Entertainment February 2003
Following their well-received self-titled debut album, New York’s Imaginary bill have released this three-track EP of similarly catchy guitar pop. Opening with the (possibly premature) groupie-baiting COOKIE, all hook-laden guitars and glam-rock stomp, then passing through the slower, melancholic SPECIAL on its way to the more psychedelic conclusion of CORDUROY DANCERS, this is a short, tight record that is bound to register with fans of everyone from Supergrass to the Beatles. Admittedly, Steve Rouach’s samey vocals tend to paint each track with a similar hue, so they do need a couple of listens to sink in, but it’s well worth the effort. -Mark Bayross

Review from Splendid January 2003
Imaginary bill likes to jump from genre to genre. This three-song EP shows strains of everything from '60s psychedelia to '90s alt-rock blandness (i.e. Gin Blossoms), all tinged with the shadow of post-punk/goth. You'll swear that the intro to "Special" is going to kick into Siouxsie's "Halloween": it oozes that signature wobbly chorus and Banshees-style fluid distortion guitar sound. "Cookie" is a bit more straightforward pop, but the lyrics bleed glam-rock through and through ("Eva's drunk: it seems so sad. She falls down when she hails a cab, proudly displays her ballroom gown"). "Corduroy Dancers" is rife with lilting chords and an ambiguous story of a lovely girl and her insecurities. Singer Steve Rouach's trebly croon pushes this track into territories populated by the likes of Suede and Shudder to Think. An extremely wide range of material gets dumped into the "pop music" catch-all -- and, unfortunately, the bands who are not in vogue are destined to be ignored by the masses. That's a particular shame for Imaginary bill, whose material is almost relentlessly radio-friendly, but just skewed enough to be interesting. -Dave Madden

Review from Amplifier January 2003
Add Imaginary bill to the crowded stable of power pop bands in today's indie scene. All of the necessary ingredients are present on this three-song EP: chiming guitars, hooks galore and a listener-friendly nasally vocalist. Something special. -Eric Sorensen

Review from Score Rocks December 2002
This EP displays a bit of Better Than Ezra, circa Deluxe (specifically BTE's "Good") on "Cookie", which tells of a woman who parties a bit too hard, even by Siren standards. "Special" is somewhat slower with beautiful and catchy Beatle-esque harmonies and "Corduroy Dancer" chimes in with more of the British invasion vocals. Beyond that, you'll find interesting lyrics but an overall skimpage of Imaginary bill. Three songs with this much passion is just a tease! It leaves one with a sort of wam-bam-thank-you-ma'am feeling. Not that quickies are bad, but I find myself breathlessly yelling "More! More! More!" Though I guess in this case, that's a good thing! -Kimmie

Review from Left Off The Dial December 2002
This three-track disc by the New Jersey (actually, it's New York -Ib) based band Imaginary bill shows lots of promise. When the disc ended after my first listen, I wished that it hadn’t - I’d love to hear a full-length album from this band. Imaginary bill could be pigeonholed as your basic indie-rock band, but that would discount their great songs. My favorite of the three is "Special", with its great chorus and David Bowie-like lead vocals. Since there are so few songs, I can’t find much reason to complain. The disc is well produced with all of the vocals and instruments clear and up front in the mix – there are no muddled sounds here. All in all, this is a great sample of what this band can do. I’m looking forward to their next longplayer. -Nick Doyle

Review from Deep Fry Bonanza October 2002
One of the biggest pleasures of doing a zine is watching a band's development. I distinctly remember getting Imaginary bill's debut LP; one of the members of the band emailed me about a week before I was leaving for Europe for six weeks asking if I could review the record. When I explained my situation he FedEx'ed me the album and, like a jackass, I still didn't get the review written until I returned from my trip. After the slight I'd done the group I did my best to bring out the things I liked about the CD in the review, but my overall feeling was still in "eh" territory. After how badly I screwed up the last time I'm surprised these guys kept me in mind, but sure enough they sent me an advance copy of their new EP Special, and I'm happy to say that I have absolutely no reservations about recommending this one to the more indie-inclined DFB readers. The three songs on Special are brilliantly written, beautifully arranged and immaculately produced, and after a solid week of listening I still can't wrestle this sucker off my stereo. The first track, "Cookie," is a wonderfully catchy indie rock song with a lineage directly traceable to the quirky melodies and venomous lyrics of Elvis Costello; the song's melody is as catchy and gigantic as a Cheap Trick stadium rocker, but it's still chock-full of all the heavy guitars and punk influence that we expect from our indie rock. The title track follows "Cookie," slowing down the tempo and expanding upon all the things that were so great about the opener. I've gotta admit, though, that my favourite song here is "Corduroy Dances." I dropped a lot of Who comparisons in my review of Imaginary bill's first album, but this song is so eerily similar to more laid-back tracks like "The Kids Are Alright" and "Substitute" that I'm checking online databases to see if this is a cover. The guitars in particular are brilliant, heavily distorted but fiddling around almost exclusively with the instrument's higher registers. The drums and bass are also brilliant, sparse but with a distinctly danceable groove that I just can't get enough of. Imaginary bill aren't terribly hyped right now, but it's only a matter of time; with Special they've gone from a band who makes up for their unpolished songwriting with manic energy to a mature, sophisticated pop band worth any and everyone's attention. If you were intriged by the Verve-ish numbers on the last Vines record and want to hear heavy but trippy indie rock done right look no further, Imaginary bill are your band. -Daniel

Review from Indieville September 2002
Imaginary bill's previous self-titled album was a great exercise in enjoyable, catchy rock. This, their new EP, continues the tradition with a collection of four even catchier tracks! The first song, "Charles M.", is a great example; right from you're first listen, the melody will slip into your head and be the subject of much humming to follow. Although it's just a regular, somewhat Sebadoh influenced tune, it's got a great sound and has the potential for both indie and commercial success. "Cookie", the track that follows it, is similarly enjoyable, though the title track tends to drag a bit. Luckily, the closer, "Corduroy Dancers", is a pleasant bit of noise-pop that ends everything off perfectly. While there isn't anything groundbreaking here, Imaginary bill still manage to provide a fully entertaining sound for the listener. If you enjoyed their debut album, or if you're just looking for some catchy, occasionally jangly pop, Special will be for you. Although, it may be better to hold out for their next album in order to get more bang for your buck. -Matt Shimmer