I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now and, sometimes it’s nice to look back and see how you’ve progressed…it’s nice to remind yourself of some of the music you’ve covered; sometimes good…sometimes not so good…and sometimes I’ve questioned my own judgement, even my sanity. Back in 2014 for example I was tasked with reviewing a German duo by the name of JUNKSISTA…with influences ranging from LADY GAGA to NINE INCH NAILS I was naturally intrigued by the prospect of their then album “High Voltage Confessions” but merciful god were things about to get Nazi (Nasty…I made a Pun before you go all Alt-Right on my ass)…with songs about panties, whoopee cushions and I’m not even joking; twat punching…I was left mentally scarred. The group have recently gotten in touch with me once again and asked if I fancy round two…their new album “Promiscuous Tendencies” drops on February 9th…cue the Dad’s Army intro…let’s do this…
We open up with “Monday” and like the beginning of every week the prospect is a depressing one, especially knowing what preceded it last time round…musically it combines a dark pulsing techno with a trance inspired feel elevating the chorus and it’s got it’s hooks, it’s not a bad listen by any means musically but I can’t help but feel they dropped acid listening to THE BOOMTOWN RATS and thought “Yeah, fuck Mondays!”…never mind the Cleveland Elementary School shooting, Bob Geldof was referring to this song 40 years in advance! New single “Fuck For Love” is a considerably slower, more morose effort…an anti-ballad of sorts, it’s cold and synthetic and emphasises the juxtaposition of the title which works well given it’s more serious tone. Then we have “Ice Cream”…and given its suggestive lyricism and seductive approach I can’t imagine that this is a play on words promoting anything other than oral sex…do I ask Tonibell for a 69 or do I get a spit-roast from Ben & Jerry? I have too many options…
One thing that I will say though…all jokes aside…this album is a remarkable improvement. “Control” for example utilises some infectious dance-pop qualities and has a good rhythm, while “Bitch This Is My Party” is rich in bubbly, light electronica which is undeniably enjoyable, but the real highlights come courtesy of “Monster” and “Freak At Heart”. The former, featuring LAYZEE, is a wonderfully catchy, disco inspired up-tempo piece with a strong DAFT PUNK influence, while the latter, a collaboration with EMKE is a brilliant slab of 80’s inspired synth-wave; it’s impossible to not appreciate this…and here I eat humble pie. When vocalist Diana emailed me I have to be totally honest, she called my bluff and I fell for it. I conditioned myself to expect the worst and mentally prepared myself for the impending cringe, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The musical quality has never been in question, it was the last albums saving grace, it was the song content that really got under my skin…but here they’ve toned down the ridiculousness but managed to retain their core character and it’s paid off really rather well…a solid electronic album; even though I’ve been put off ice cream for the foreseeable future. [7]
We open up with “Monday” and like the beginning of every week the prospect is a depressing one, especially knowing what preceded it last time round…musically it combines a dark pulsing techno with a trance inspired feel elevating the chorus and it’s got it’s hooks, it’s not a bad listen by any means musically but I can’t help but feel they dropped acid listening to THE BOOMTOWN RATS and thought “Yeah, fuck Mondays!”…never mind the Cleveland Elementary School shooting, Bob Geldof was referring to this song 40 years in advance! New single “Fuck For Love” is a considerably slower, more morose effort…an anti-ballad of sorts, it’s cold and synthetic and emphasises the juxtaposition of the title which works well given it’s more serious tone. Then we have “Ice Cream”…and given its suggestive lyricism and seductive approach I can’t imagine that this is a play on words promoting anything other than oral sex…do I ask Tonibell for a 69 or do I get a spit-roast from Ben & Jerry? I have too many options…
One thing that I will say though…all jokes aside…this album is a remarkable improvement. “Control” for example utilises some infectious dance-pop qualities and has a good rhythm, while “Bitch This Is My Party” is rich in bubbly, light electronica which is undeniably enjoyable, but the real highlights come courtesy of “Monster” and “Freak At Heart”. The former, featuring LAYZEE, is a wonderfully catchy, disco inspired up-tempo piece with a strong DAFT PUNK influence, while the latter, a collaboration with EMKE is a brilliant slab of 80’s inspired synth-wave; it’s impossible to not appreciate this…and here I eat humble pie. When vocalist Diana emailed me I have to be totally honest, she called my bluff and I fell for it. I conditioned myself to expect the worst and mentally prepared myself for the impending cringe, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The musical quality has never been in question, it was the last albums saving grace, it was the song content that really got under my skin…but here they’ve toned down the ridiculousness but managed to retain their core character and it’s paid off really rather well…a solid electronic album; even though I’ve been put off ice cream for the foreseeable future. [7]
RSS Feed