ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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Hayseed Dixie
KILLER GRASS COOKING VINYL 8.2.10 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
Hayseed Dixie’s 8th studio album sees them up to their old tricks again. Comprising seven original tracks and six rockgrass covers (all on the themes of death and cheating), there’s nothing here that you wouldn’t expect, and everything that you would. First, the covers. Everyone likes to hear familiar songs covered by a banjo and accompanying instrumentation, and this time round there’s a greater range of genres than before. My personal highlight was a cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, while duty if also paid to “Omen” by The Prodigy, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” by Black Sabbath and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who – all of which are delivered in the usual highly entertaining, but not especially complicated, manner. Hayseed Dixie go out on a limb for one cover, though, with a version of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart (cunningly retitled to Eine Kleine Trinksmusik), which is both frantic and intricate. It’s a clever direction to move in, showing that they’re capable of more than just rock covers, but does lose some impact as the piece is a favourite of Tenacious D, so has already been extensively interpreted into rock. The original work available on the album is the usual moderate fair. “Tolerance” is a lament on being too good at drinking, smoking etc and has a catchy refrain, while “Alien Abduction Probe” is just silly and contains some lazy rhyming (‘They can’t scratch their itch / left me lying in a ditch’). “In The Backyard” is a darker story of concealed murder, and has a chorus that feels like a campfire song. “She’s Just My Type” sounds like a cover of a Shania Twain song (Oh the horror!), while “Underneath The Bed” is ridiculous but kindof enjoyable. The album comes with a DVD that has low-production videos for many of these self-penned tracks, and this certainly helps to understand what the band were angling for when they wrote them. I think the audience having a few beers inside them may be a good start… Also on the DVD are some ‘tutorial’ videos that are funny the first time round, but may not have much repeat value, and the entire album in WAV format to allow remixing of the tracks – a feature that’s admirable, but I feel may be greatly underused. Hayseed Dixie will always polarise people. I personally enjoy their work, so think this album is as good as their previous offerings, but I still want them to continue expanding the types of tracks they cover and the subject matter of their own songs. Killer Grass holds no surprises, but what else would you expect from everyone’s favourite hillbillies? www.hayseed-dixie.com |
