Possum Dixon is not a hillbilly delicacy, but rather a four piece rock band out of L.A. who has just released its self-titled debut on Interscope Records. The Possum posse of vocalist/bassist Rob Zebrecky, electric pianist/guitarist Robet O'Sullivan, guitarist Celso Chavez, and drummer Richard Trevel have come up big with Possum Dixon, successfully capturing their loose, energenic live feel. Many of the album's 11 tracks sound like a musical combination between The Feelies and Talking Heads in their early days. Zabrecky even bears a close resemblance to David Bryne.

Zabrecky often straddles the line between harmonizing and annoying listeners to death with his brat-like vocals, which often work in favor of the band and their charm. He has a penchant for swithcing gears at just the right time as he does on the bouncy single "Watch That Girl," moving from obnoxious vocals to harmonic choruses. You always seem to know where he's coming from whether he's screaming slacker lines like "I hate work/I'm a mail room clerk' as he does on the fun-loving "Nerves," or just pointing out the differences between he and his girlfriend ("She writes plays/I read paperbacks,") on the bass and piano driven track "Invisible."

Musically, Possum Dixon are at their best when churning out pop rock gems like the short, peppy jaunts "Regina," "In Buildings" and "She Drives," which possess a live vibe stemming from Chavez's speedy acoustics, O'Sullivans electric piano playing (sometimes with his face), Treuel's steady drumming and Zabrecky's bass. The warped beach music of "Nerves" is also a standout, in what could pass for the "Rock Lobster" of the 90's with Zabrecky's singspeak style right out of the Fred Sneider handbook.

While Possum Dixon may not make these L.A. hipsters America's most wanted on the airways, it should at least make them easier to find.

Reviewer:  Don Kroeller Jr., courtesy of Flash Magazine.