Bands cultivating a look to match their sound in rock and roll is nothing new, but the 90s weren't the most receptive decade to a well thought out image. The Sharp, with their black and white color scheme, upright bass, and precise take on 80s new wave with twists of rockabilly and power-pop, make a case that The White Stripes would follow at the end of the decade with their 1993 debut This Is The Sharp. Sounding blender filled with albums by The Knack, Brian Setzer, sElf, Joe Jackson, Fountains of Wayne, Jellyfish, and more, the tight, clean sounds are at odds with the distorted grunge overtaking the music world in 1993. But their charm of being totally at odds with the times means the skill and craftsmanship of the songwriting really shines, even if it does dip into familiar patterns at times.