Frankis
11/23/08, 05:52 PM
Electric Six - Flashy
Record Label: Round Records (UK)
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Electric Six are a Detroit force of nature that has delivered synth-driven rock and roll in some form or another for over a decade. While they prove their long road to here with the new tour-only rarities album Sexy Trash, it is Flashy, the fifth studio album, which is currently taking the men on yet another romp around a couple of continents. If you haven’t seen a show or given the band a spin before, then you may have the surface knowledge of the use of tracks from the band’s first album, Fire, such as the soundtrack and advertisement usage of “Danger! High Voltage” or the youtube sensation “Gay Bar.” It is the amount of people that have only been this far that inspired this album’s fan-geared start, the out-there inside joke, “Gay Bar, Part 2.”
The song starts the album with a strum, a kick, and a bang. Both a listen and the band themselves let you know that this is in no way a sequel, but a tribute that makes a joke that you can only hope you are a part of, lest you be insulted. Once Dick Valentine, your humble vocalist, delivers his first line, the mission of this album to use more horns is realized and accomplished. Carrying on to reference tracks from previous albums, Electric Six seems to communicate a message of, “Yes, we have had other songs, and now we have this album.” The foundation of background laid, the album takes quite a jump forward.
“Formula 409,” the first single from the album, includes all the elements you would anticipate in an Electric Six rock track. Vocal range, heavy guitar riffs, and solid lyrics that communicate a message of genuine … look, this is the hardest aspect to describe about this band. Every statement they make is veiled in a joke, making it more difficult to know whether or not they’re serious than it is to try and figure out whether Palestine rhymes well with a cleaning agent, or if the men in the band actually want to communicate a political agenda. The more you think about this album, the less fun it becomes. Just dance, please.
The album becomes a bit more synth-heavy as the tracks continue. Tait lays down the beat for a story of lesbian witch love, then keeps it up with the lines of “Dirty Ball,” which exemplifies the band’s song writing style: make it sound good on the synthesizer, then develop the guitar riff from that. If the mass produced dance rock bands of today took this approach, who knows what we would be seeing.
“Lovers Beware” changes the theme a bit, but it is the simple yet distant intro of “Your Heat is Rising,” followed by a progressive build-up that has made it the track that seems to be turning up on more playlists than the first single. Backing up the lyrics with true force and arpeggiated rhythms tied up with excellent production easily make this track a stand-out, and one of the finest notes of the album. “Face Cuts” slows the pace and anchors the center of the album, allowing a clapping outro to lead into “Heavy Woman.” As you expect, this is one of the heaviest tracks on the album, both in terms of riffs and weight of the subject. “Flashy Man” takes the stage next, stealing the show with the greatest set of comparisons ever recorded, and exploding over and over for two minutes of screeching solos and piano backups.
“Watching Evil Empires Fall Apart,” displays the knowledge that ordinary men have of dictatorial rule, and how they are able to still make its brilliance into a horn filled triumph about a woman. Its placement is also key, as it came near the end of the album only to convince me to play the entire record again immediately after it was finished. “Graphic Designer” is the final track that comes in heavy and stays that way, moving hard for several minutes longer than the other hard rock tracks of the album. “Transatlantic Flight” tells another story through its verse, but it is the chorus that reminds you of what and who you are dealing with ("In the event of a water landing, you can use my body as a flotation device").
“Making Progress” ties up the album in an awkward way, with lyrics that are entirely vocoded, and the most diverse use of instrumentation on the record. It is a fitting finale, backing up my earlier attempt at a point: If you’re going to listen to an Electric Six album, do it for enjoyment. They blend their instruments together in a way that doesn’t ask for more than a listen, and layer you with lyrics that only make sense if you don’t think too much. They are a political band in some way, but not in an out of control way that cares more about a message that it does about a fanbase. As an album that entertains, pleases, and encourages you to dance, this is another winner from a strong band in my book.
Scissor Sisters; The Presidents of the United States of America; Cake
myspace.com/electricsixmusic (http://www.myspace.com/electricsixmusic)
Record Label: Round Records (UK)
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Electric Six are a Detroit force of nature that has delivered synth-driven rock and roll in some form or another for over a decade. While they prove their long road to here with the new tour-only rarities album Sexy Trash, it is Flashy, the fifth studio album, which is currently taking the men on yet another romp around a couple of continents. If you haven’t seen a show or given the band a spin before, then you may have the surface knowledge of the use of tracks from the band’s first album, Fire, such as the soundtrack and advertisement usage of “Danger! High Voltage” or the youtube sensation “Gay Bar.” It is the amount of people that have only been this far that inspired this album’s fan-geared start, the out-there inside joke, “Gay Bar, Part 2.”
The song starts the album with a strum, a kick, and a bang. Both a listen and the band themselves let you know that this is in no way a sequel, but a tribute that makes a joke that you can only hope you are a part of, lest you be insulted. Once Dick Valentine, your humble vocalist, delivers his first line, the mission of this album to use more horns is realized and accomplished. Carrying on to reference tracks from previous albums, Electric Six seems to communicate a message of, “Yes, we have had other songs, and now we have this album.” The foundation of background laid, the album takes quite a jump forward.
“Formula 409,” the first single from the album, includes all the elements you would anticipate in an Electric Six rock track. Vocal range, heavy guitar riffs, and solid lyrics that communicate a message of genuine … look, this is the hardest aspect to describe about this band. Every statement they make is veiled in a joke, making it more difficult to know whether or not they’re serious than it is to try and figure out whether Palestine rhymes well with a cleaning agent, or if the men in the band actually want to communicate a political agenda. The more you think about this album, the less fun it becomes. Just dance, please.
The album becomes a bit more synth-heavy as the tracks continue. Tait lays down the beat for a story of lesbian witch love, then keeps it up with the lines of “Dirty Ball,” which exemplifies the band’s song writing style: make it sound good on the synthesizer, then develop the guitar riff from that. If the mass produced dance rock bands of today took this approach, who knows what we would be seeing.
“Lovers Beware” changes the theme a bit, but it is the simple yet distant intro of “Your Heat is Rising,” followed by a progressive build-up that has made it the track that seems to be turning up on more playlists than the first single. Backing up the lyrics with true force and arpeggiated rhythms tied up with excellent production easily make this track a stand-out, and one of the finest notes of the album. “Face Cuts” slows the pace and anchors the center of the album, allowing a clapping outro to lead into “Heavy Woman.” As you expect, this is one of the heaviest tracks on the album, both in terms of riffs and weight of the subject. “Flashy Man” takes the stage next, stealing the show with the greatest set of comparisons ever recorded, and exploding over and over for two minutes of screeching solos and piano backups.
“Watching Evil Empires Fall Apart,” displays the knowledge that ordinary men have of dictatorial rule, and how they are able to still make its brilliance into a horn filled triumph about a woman. Its placement is also key, as it came near the end of the album only to convince me to play the entire record again immediately after it was finished. “Graphic Designer” is the final track that comes in heavy and stays that way, moving hard for several minutes longer than the other hard rock tracks of the album. “Transatlantic Flight” tells another story through its verse, but it is the chorus that reminds you of what and who you are dealing with ("In the event of a water landing, you can use my body as a flotation device").
“Making Progress” ties up the album in an awkward way, with lyrics that are entirely vocoded, and the most diverse use of instrumentation on the record. It is a fitting finale, backing up my earlier attempt at a point: If you’re going to listen to an Electric Six album, do it for enjoyment. They blend their instruments together in a way that doesn’t ask for more than a listen, and layer you with lyrics that only make sense if you don’t think too much. They are a political band in some way, but not in an out of control way that cares more about a message that it does about a fanbase. As an album that entertains, pleases, and encourages you to dance, this is another winner from a strong band in my book.
Scissor Sisters; The Presidents of the United States of America; Cake
myspace.com/electricsixmusic (http://www.myspace.com/electricsixmusic)