Free music? Yeah, I'm into that, shameless plug or no.
I just got through listening to the whole album (and then again, as I listened to some of the tracks again as I was writing my "review" below). My verdict, in sum, would be: good stuff. In a little more detail...
I think the album gets a rocky start, to be honest. The Waltz just doesn't work for me. Maybe it's the cacophony toward the end of the track, but it feels very overpowering to me, almost offensive. So my first impression wasn't that good. The second track is pretty short and doesn't really have much going for it, but it seems to lead into the third track, Song of Technology, which is where I think this album hits its stride. It may not push any envelopes or break any barriers, but it's very listenable-to (you know what I mean). I like the syncopation in the vox (vocorder?) sample. Anger Belly is also nice, again, with an interesting sample thrown in there in the middle--good party music, for sure. Very catchy. Horoskope continues the trend of listenable-to tracks; I like the exotic flavor. Is that Egyptian influence I'm hearing? I don't know, but I like it.
The next two tracks, Dreaming of Polygamy and Half Blank Face are short, but they almost feel like two halves of each other. There seem to be some common musical themes/sounds involved. Not too complex (otherwise the tracks would probably be longer), but pleasant. Klanguku Brucu is even shorter and is more of a fragmentary musical thought than a developed theme, leading into Nephew Get It On. Not too much to say about this one--probably a middle of the road track for this album. The next track, though, Why You Want A Record Deal? took me a bit by surprise with the vocals. After having no vocals for half the album, it was a sudden shift. My first thought, to be honest, was that I preferred the no-vocal tracks. After another listen, I can't say that I dislike the track, but it's definitely not my favorite (better than The Waltz by a long shot, though).
Some Day and Go Columbo in 1997 seemed to be standard tracks--again, good party music, but I didn't feel that any boundaries were being tested. Bumpy Bosbo, though, I genuinely enjoyed. It fits in with the general mood of the album, but it also didn't sound like anything else on the album up to that point. If you were to blindfold me after my first listen, play the tracks in random order, and then ask me to identify them, Bumpy Bosbo would probably be the only one I would get (with the exception of the vocal tracks, which kind of give their titles away, and of course The Waltz, but that's not a good thing). Whimsical with a groove, I suppose would be a good way to describe it.
Looks Like Riggidy Rain was pretty standard, so I don't have too much in the way of comment here. A Put Anotha Bread In Me Bread Bin was another vocal track, but I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It's got a Reggae feel to it, and it works. I like the girl's voice, too... smooth and soothing. And, for some reason, the "Don't gimme white bread I want brown bread" line made me chuckle.
Overall, as I said above, good stuff. Most of it was not mind-blowing (although I suspect that the goal here was not so much to blow minds as it was to move hips), but I enjoyed a majority of the tracks, and a few of them I liked quite a bit. I have guests coming over for dinner tonight, and I think at least Bumpy Bosbo and A Put Anotha Bread In Me Bread Bin, and probably one of the earlier tracks (Horoskope, maybe?), are going into my playlist.
Very nice, and thanks again for the music! My compliments to the chef!
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Suho: www.liminality.org | Cell 270 | Sig Rotator | the Fellowship of Sup