ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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STRANGE WEATHER, ISN’T IT? WARP RECORDS 23.8.10 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
!!! successfully shattered my expectations with this, their fourth album. I was convinced that I was going to be playing a generic dance album that would blend into the walls for the next 45 minutes, but instead a little pocket of 1990s ‘Madchester’ grabbed me by the ears and bounced around the room, Bez-style. Some tracks honestly sound like contemporary remixes of Happy Mondays songs, none more so than opening offering ‘Am/Fm’; from its main sample beat, through the subtle bass and overlaying synths. The sound that !!! deliver on this album has 1990s all over it – it’s laid back, with loose guitars and funk-laden hooks, saxophone solos and smooth vocals in the style of early 90s bands like Freak Power (‘Steady As The Sidewalk Cracks’ reminds me somewhat of ‘Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out’) and even the Stone Roses (‘The Most Certain Sure’ has their vibe most strongly); each track is – for want of a better word – funky, with strong vocal hooks that could become crowd pleasers when played live. While I can’t say I loved this album, I certainly enjoyed it – probably through a combination of nostalgia and surprise, but it certainly seems to have lasting appeal. This is going to quickly become one of my evening wind-down albums. I don’t think I can give it much more praise than that! www.chkchkchk.net |
