THE REMBRANDTS:
Lost Together
(J Bird)

THE REMBRANDTS: Lost Together (J Bird)The world first heard The Rembrandts back in 1990 with their debut hit, "Just the Way It Is Baby." But the real boom occurred when the somewhat unknown band came up with the theme song for the NBC sitcom, Friends. "I'll Be There for You," as well as the show itself, became an overnight sensation. Now six years or so later, Friends is still huge, while The Rembrandts are still waiting for their ship to come in.

Known for creating simple ditties in the vein of modern day Everly Brothers, the band enjoyed success in the wake of the Friends frenzy. Unfortunately, that success was fleeting. The Rembrandts (comprised of singer/songwriters Danny Wilde and Phil Solem) were unfairly dubbed 'one hit wonders' by critics and the record buying public. Suddenly, the hits prior to "I'll Be There for You" were discarded, as were The Rembrandts themselves.

The group reunited recently and the result is their new release, Lost Together. While the album contains many of the same elements of their earlier albums, it's missing the early day enthusiasm. The title track gives us a glimpse of Rembrandts glory days gone by, but the majority of the material sounds as if it were stuck in 1993.

"You Are the One" is a sweet love song, and "One of Us" revisits the heart on your sleeve approach to songwriting that The Rembrandts perfected with 1992's "Maybe Tomorrow." Finally, there's "Some Other World," which sounds as if it were penned for another TV show. Wishful thinking, perhaps?

© 2001 Janet Branagan
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