What Is All This Sweet Work Worth? - 2004 - Literary/Rock

Pop-rock ruminations on love, relationships, and the problem of evil.

$10.00 + $1 S&H

Tracks

01. Track Listing
02. End Of The Affair
03. Perfect Breasts
04. Heathen Eden
05. Live Without Me
06. Theodicy Club
07. Not To Talk
08. Ugly American
09. To Jane
10. My Most Immemorial Year
11. Have You Been Around?
12. Give You The Creeps
13. Been Here All Along

Reviews

"What Is All This Sweet Work Worth?, the first album from Philadelphia's Milton and the Devils Party, combines lyrical complexity with powerful pop hooks. But this is no snotty adolescent parade of undergraduate pseudo-intellectualism. Sharp and catchy, this CD deserves a broad audience." --Glorious Noise

Elvis Costello must be proud that so many artists not only cite his work, cover his songs, but indeed attempt to emulate his style. Milton and the Devils Party with their power pop firmly in hand do the latter well and without being too derivative. So would you be surprised that the music is by a band that was founded by two English professors? Sure the music is intelligent but it’s far from exclusionary. If you’re like me you just might hear a little bit of XTC wedged in between some of the more rockin’ tunes. Good stuff. --Philadelphia Weekly

As you'd suspect, their lyrics have an edge, but the spirit of songs like "End of the Affair," "Perfect Breasts" and "Ugly American" is more sarcastic punk than high-falutin' poetics. And the band's propulsive, power pop music offers the sweet-and-sour whiff of an Elvis Costello or R.E.M. anthem. --Philadelphia Daily News

www.MiltonDevilsParty.com