sweet, light, ear candy

Optimistic Fool (Seed)

Pooh Sticks

By Kory Wilcoxson

Listening to the Pooh Sticks is similar to eating a Hawaiian Shave Ice: There's sweet enjoyment in it, but there is not a lot of substance there.

The Pooh Sticks define ear candy with their lightweight tunes that would seem more in place a few decades back when two-minute pop ditties were the norm. Their tales of love gained and lost go no deeper than a wading pool and demand no more thought than a Stallone movie.

The songs are quick and completely catchy, such as "Working on a Beautiful Thing." The Sticks call to mind the Monkees with their jangly enthusiasm, best seen on "Bad Moming Girl" and "Miss Me."

The songs breeze by and leave little trace, and the whole album is so airy it is residue free. The Pooh Sticks are easily swallowed but provide nothing to chew on.