A mono recording,
the Kaisers' fourth long-play outing recreates the swinging sounds of very early
Beatles and other Merseybeat bands with considerable gusto. While the group emulates both the musical and visual style of musicians from another era -- even the CD packaging is designed to resemble an old album cover --
the Kaisers are more than mere copycats. A dozen of the album's 14 songs are originals; also,
the Kaisers vary their approach with a couple instrumentals in the style of
the Ventures and Shadows. The results aren't quite as energetic as their live performances, and some of the performances aren't as strong as they should be (e.g., the relatively subdued remake of
Chuck Berry's "I Want to Be Your Driver"), but overall
Wishing Street is a lot of fun. ~ Todd Kristel