A Soft Kill is what happens when you chase repeated shots of bourbon with NyQuil and apathy. From this, one of two things can happen: addiction or an ambulance. The moments of likeability are not worth the impending headache. From Bubblegum To Sky [Official Site, Myspace], also known as the Mario Ishii Hernandez (of Ciao Bella) show, recently released A Soft Kill, their third solo album. Unfortunately in this case, third times isn’t the charm. Here’s why:

First, the not so good news. The songs are short and two dimensional – they are snippets of something that have the potential to be something bigger. They don’t give you a chance to develop any sort of “I want to play this song over and over” attachment to them. The vocals sound bored and tinny, and the guitar is really the only glue keeping this album together… barely. Sort of like a loose tooth hanging on for dear life.

But now the good news. While the above may seem harsh, From Bubblegum holds much promise. “Say Goodbye” has an uncanny resemblance to the 1960′s Little Peggy March chorus of “I Will Follow Him.” Quite catchy, and From Bubblegum excercises a slightly more diverse vocal arrangement here. “The Flash” is the song that could be the springboard for the next album. In it, Hernandez sounds like a cross between Elliot Smith and Brian Aubert of the Silversun Pickups. Hernandez should use this more to his advantage. The song is dark and sneaky… in other words, a lot of fun.

If From Bubblegum gets back in the lab, incorporates a little depth to the music and fine-tunes the vocals, it’s entirely possible that Hernandez can come back and win “Most Improved.”

Score: 2/5

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