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The Rice Thresher
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Maya Hazarika Sometimes it seems that along the way, bands forgot that making music was supposed to be fun. Not these guys. Supergrass is guaranteed to transport you out of any funk, straight back to the '70s. There's a bit of punk, a bit of glam, some great lyrics and fantastic instrumentation. There isn't a weak track on this entire album. It kicks off with "Moving," which opens with an elongated melodic line and transitions into one of the catchiest choruses on the album, an energetic drum/keyboard-driven explosion that will be in your head for days. The next standout track is "What Went Wrong (In Your Head)," featuring one of my favorite lines on the album, "God save the unstable." Yeah, that's what I'm saying. The track is upbeat and fun, with a beat that practically makes you get up and dance and backup vocals that are absolutely perfect. The tempo slows for "Shotover Hill," a lush, evocative almost-ballad. The plaintive, soul-searching tone carries into the next track, "Eon," shorter and more experimental in terms of instrumentation. This band has fun with instruments and lyrics, and its quirky sense of humor comes out in "Jesus Came from Outer Space." This song has more of a '70s punk flavor and makes the claim, "Jesus came from outta space and traveled from beyond the stars/He came down for peace on Earth and left in a second-hand car." If you've heard Supergrass recently, it's probably been the next track, "Pumping on Your Stereo," a party tune with an infectious chorus and a hint of the Rolling Stones. You'll be clapping your hands about halfway through this one, even while wondering what the hell you're doing. The album closes with a few songs that might be described as ballads with a beat. "Faraway" opens with a lot of scratchy, distorted guitar sounds that settle nicely into a mellow groove, flavored with a bit of electronica and some background strings. The album closes with a lovely tune, "Mama and Papa," that sounds like a cross between Pink Floyd and David Bowie in his glam-rock days, a winner to close out a winning album. I wasn't ready for this album to end. By the second listen, I felt like Supergrass had cast some sort of spell on me. As I listened to a couple of the tracks, I found that I couldn't even understand why I liked them so much. It was like some strange form of mind control. Anyway, I have nothing negative to say about this album. Go out and get it. Today. You'll love it. I promise. - Maya Hazarika
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This document may be distributed electronically, provided that it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice. However, it cannot be reprinted without the express written permission of: The Rice Thresher, Rice University MS-524, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892, USA. The Thresher Online Project -- ethresh@listserv.rice.edu |
