The Soft Pack Say Their Sound Is 'Nothing New'

As the Soft Pack release its self-titled debut album this week, singer and guitarist Matt Lamkin admits he's not quite sure why the California quartet has, in his own words, gone "further than 90 percent of the bands that start in the garage."

"We're purely trying to write good songs and have honest lyrics, so I guess that's kind of a timeless thing," Lamkin tells Spinner. After playing record-release shows in Philadelphia and New York City this week, the group heads overseas for HMV's 'Next Big Thing' tour, which includes stops in the U.K., Belgium and the Netherlands.

"We're trying to just make good sense, not cash in on any trend or anything," Lamkin adds. "A lot of our sound is considered boring or uninteresting, or 'it's been done.' Literally, the sound is nothing new."

If Lamkin is being modest, there's some truth to what he says. Formerly known as the Muslims -- a name the band ditched to avoid the controversy its music in no way courts -- the Soft Pack makes classic-sounding grab-bag rock 'n' roll. Its songs reference '60s garage -- check the searing psychedelic organ on 'Move Along' -- Replacements-style punk and Posies-grade power-pop, among other influences.

"Our goal is always not to have it sound like any decade or anything," Lamkin says. "I don't know -- our favorite records are just rock 'n' roll records, Iggy Pop records from the mid and late '70s. No specific sound."

The Soft Pack's debut follows two acclaimed EPs, several singles and high-profile shows with such groups as Bloc Party, the Breeders and Franz Ferdinand. While Lamkin says he and the other members of the L.A.-via-San Diego group would like to justify all the hype and critical goodwill, he's ambivalent about music-biz success.

"This stuff could all pass pretty easily, given the way the Internet makes bands come and go," Lamkin says. "We feel pressure, but we also want to make the record we want. If it doesn't pan out, we won't be totally surprised. But you know, it's cool. It's been great to play with some good bands and do some good tours."