Game Theory "Dead Center" 1984

Game Theory formed on the fringe of the Paisley Underground movement of the early-'80sGame Theory is a clean, and for a time, mildly psychedelic, pop band from northern California, which means their departures from conventional meat-and-potatoes reality are more quirky than trippy. Like most over-educated popsters, they tend towards wimpiness — at which times the arcane lyrics don't help — but the hip catchiness of the songs mostly keeps them out of trouble.
With awfully thin sound and more enthusiasm than skill, the young guitar-and-keyboards quartet made its promising debut on the self-released Blaze of Glory. Switching drummers, Game Theory then returned with the schizy six-song Pointed Accounts. The first side is light; guitarist/singer Scott Miller's songs are slightly off-kilter, with cryptic lines ("She likes metal and glass exact" — huh?), but the hooks make them go down smoothly. Bassist/singer Fred Juhos carries things further out on the second side with two tunes, including "I Wanna Get Hit by a Car." Juhos' vision is darker and somewhat more intriguing, but he isn't Miller's equal as a tunesmith.
The five-song Distortion, co-produced by Michael Quercio of the Three O'Clock, is fuller, if not as fresh sounding as the debut. Unfortunately, the more baroque presentation makes Miller's fey falsetto and fragile melodies sound too precious. Pleasant listening, and the good ideas are still there, but it doesn't draw you in. Dead Center compiles the two EPs, adding three extra items.Game Theory:

Scott Miller (singer/songwriter, guitarist), Fred Juhos (bass, vox), Nancy Becker (keyboards, vox), Dave Gill (drums)

traxfromwax:

1/ Nine Lives to Rigel Five 2/ Penny, Things Won't 3/ Dead Center 4/ The Red Baron 5/ The Letter 6/ Shark Pretty 7/ Metal and Glass Exact 8/ Selfish Again 9/ Too Late for Tears 10/ 37th Day