Review for Nexus Magazine (www.nexusmag.co.nz)
Almost four years after releasing their 7x platinum debut album, Wellington six-piece Fat Freddy’s Drop return with their next offering: Dr Boondigga & The Big BW. I have thought for a long time that dub music in general is overhyped and overexposed in New Zealand, and it is always a pleasant surprise to find something fresh once in a while. I felt that way when I first checked out Kora’s self-titled debut, and I feel the same way about this album.
To be honest, I was not expecting to enjoy this album. I never got into their first album Based on a True Story, and I was thoroughly sick of Wandering Eye when it was being played on TV and radio constantly. The strength of Dr Boondigga & The Big BW is its variation. Whereas Kora draws its strength from its genre-crossing rock fusion, Fat Freddy’s Drop seems to have found fresh sounding material in a very familiar genre. No easy feat!
The album kicks off with a chilling synthesisor riff on Big BW. Their brass section sounds fantastic in this song and is definitely one of the highlights throughout the entire album. It is a track that seems well suited to its winter release date. Usually I would groan at the thought of listening to a 10 minute long dub jam, but Shiverman is enjoyable from start to finish, moving along at a lively pace. It is on the track Boondigga that Fat Freddy’s Drop really hit their stride. This soulful song is, in my opinion, a career highpoint for the band; infinitely more catchy, tuneful and enjoyable than their breakthrough single Wandering Eye. The beautifully washed out end to the song is a great end to the first part of the album.
Admittedly I cringed at the start of The Raft, as the refreshing album reverted back into familiar dub territory that could have come from any dub band around New Zealand. Pull the Catch continues this trend, and while it is better than The Raft, is certainly doesn’t strive to get out of its comfort zone.
It gets a bit more interesting with the song The Camel, with a guest appearance from soul singer Alice Russell. There is much more variation in this track, and, dare I say it, a guitar solo! The Nod is another great showcase for their brass players, delivering some great brass hooks that makes latter-day Black Seeds tracks seem rather weak in comparison.
The sparse electronic beats of Wild Wind suit the mood of the track perfectly, accompanied almost completely by synthesisor. This stripped back track sounds rather eerie without the heavy brass featured earlier in the album. Breakthrough, the final track on the album ends the album on a high note. Its gloriously cheerful organ outro is a great way to end the record.
This is a must own album for anyone who has had an interest in the band previously. There are plenty of great instrumental moments on this album to appeal beyond the usual dub crowd. Not a perfect album, as it does feature a few dull tracks in the middle, but on the whole it is a very enjoyable experience. If you’re looking at getting this album, grab a CD copy. It has fantastic album artwork!
Rating: 4/5
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Marilyn Manson – The High End of Low
Review for Nexus Magazine (www.nexusmag.co.nz)
“Antichrist Superstar” Marilyn Manson is back with his seventh studio album The Low End of Low. Like the Green Day album I reviewed last week, this album suffers from many of the same pitfalls. Both artists have been around since the early 1990’s and are both at the stage where they are struggling to remain relevant. It is a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ scenario: if Marilyn Manson were to change his music style, he would be heavily criticised by his fanbase, but if he sticks to the same formula, you get an album exactly like this one! It’s not terrible, but it is sorely lacking inspiration, especially in the lyrics department.
This albums marks the return of Twiggy Ramirez, songwriter and guitarist on some of Marilyn Manson’s best albums, including Mechanical Animals and Holywood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). After having a break from the band (performing with A Perfect Circle and Nine Inch Nails), he returns to the Marilyn Manson line-up along with his signature glam-rock influenced songs. In fact, the first single ‘Arma-goddamn-motherfuckin-geddon’ could easily fit alongside ‘Rock is Dead’ and ‘I Don’t Like The Drugs’ from Mechanical Animals.
Unfortunately, it is Manson’s contributions to the songs that bring down the overall quality of the album. The lyrics are some of the worst he has ever written and the whole ‘shock rock’ theme just sounds more and more forced. Lines like “We’re from America/Where Jesus was born/We’re from America/Where they let you come on their faces” just sound like a strained attempt at finding something shocking to sing about. The lyrical themes are no different from what he has been singing about his entire career: bashing the religious right and American media culture. The sarcastic sneering remarks at both of these targets come across as very stagnant, considering the 100+ songs in his repertoire that cover this already.
It would be unfair to criticise this album without acknowledging its positive points, which there are a few. ‘Pretty as a Swastika’ is a genuinely enjoyable and catchy track as well as the second single ‘Leave a Scar’. Ignoring the painfully strained ranting on ‘Arma-goddamn-motherfuckin-geddon’, musically it is a pretty damn catchy song. It is just a pity the rest of the album is so boring. The album clocks in at 72 minutes long, at least 30 minutes longer than it needed to be. The slow 9 minute track ‘I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies’ is almost unbearable by the end, and that only signals the halfway mark on the album! It is not uncommon for Marilyn Manson albums to push the 60+ minute mark, but passive fans or newcomers to the band will be watching the clock every minute after the first five or so songs on this record.
It’s got a couple of good songs, and its great to hear Twiggy back in the band, but this is an album for hardcore Marilyn Manson fans only.
Rating: 2/5
“Antichrist Superstar” Marilyn Manson is back with his seventh studio album The Low End of Low. Like the Green Day album I reviewed last week, this album suffers from many of the same pitfalls. Both artists have been around since the early 1990’s and are both at the stage where they are struggling to remain relevant. It is a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ scenario: if Marilyn Manson were to change his music style, he would be heavily criticised by his fanbase, but if he sticks to the same formula, you get an album exactly like this one! It’s not terrible, but it is sorely lacking inspiration, especially in the lyrics department.
This albums marks the return of Twiggy Ramirez, songwriter and guitarist on some of Marilyn Manson’s best albums, including Mechanical Animals and Holywood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). After having a break from the band (performing with A Perfect Circle and Nine Inch Nails), he returns to the Marilyn Manson line-up along with his signature glam-rock influenced songs. In fact, the first single ‘Arma-goddamn-motherfuckin-geddon’ could easily fit alongside ‘Rock is Dead’ and ‘I Don’t Like The Drugs’ from Mechanical Animals.
Unfortunately, it is Manson’s contributions to the songs that bring down the overall quality of the album. The lyrics are some of the worst he has ever written and the whole ‘shock rock’ theme just sounds more and more forced. Lines like “We’re from America/Where Jesus was born/We’re from America/Where they let you come on their faces” just sound like a strained attempt at finding something shocking to sing about. The lyrical themes are no different from what he has been singing about his entire career: bashing the religious right and American media culture. The sarcastic sneering remarks at both of these targets come across as very stagnant, considering the 100+ songs in his repertoire that cover this already.
It would be unfair to criticise this album without acknowledging its positive points, which there are a few. ‘Pretty as a Swastika’ is a genuinely enjoyable and catchy track as well as the second single ‘Leave a Scar’. Ignoring the painfully strained ranting on ‘Arma-goddamn-motherfuckin-geddon’, musically it is a pretty damn catchy song. It is just a pity the rest of the album is so boring. The album clocks in at 72 minutes long, at least 30 minutes longer than it needed to be. The slow 9 minute track ‘I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies’ is almost unbearable by the end, and that only signals the halfway mark on the album! It is not uncommon for Marilyn Manson albums to push the 60+ minute mark, but passive fans or newcomers to the band will be watching the clock every minute after the first five or so songs on this record.
It’s got a couple of good songs, and its great to hear Twiggy back in the band, but this is an album for hardcore Marilyn Manson fans only.
Rating: 2/5
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