This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Think Wayne Coyne and his Flaming Lips have the market cornered on quirk in Oklahoma? You got another think coming, bub.
Pop bands don’t get much kookier than Norman’s fearlessly eclectic orch-pop outfit Starlight Mints. Thankfully, they don’t get much more intriguing or satisfying, either — that is, if their sophomore album Built On Squares is anything to go by. One of the most restlessly inventive and ambitiously original indie-pop discs of late, this 11-song charmer is anything but square. You’ll hear bits and bytes of a seemingly endless list of influences here, from Tom Waitsian Tin Pan Alley songcraft to glittery David Bowie glam to acid-drenched orch-pop to squelchy trip-hop to the mascara-smeared new wave of The Cure to sound-effects records to rustic Americana and hep-cat jazz. Somehow, the Mints manage to merge them all with the skill of a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon and a lot more taste, creating bite-sized musical marvels that are instantly addictive and genuinely captivating. Not to mention Minty fresh.
