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Lucid Nation will have to endure some definite comparisons to Sonic Youth, in particular to Kim Gordon’s slacker vocals. That and the tag-team boy-girl vocal and instrument duties. The major difference is that you can plop down in front of DNA and let it roll all the way through. A few times even. Whereas with the Lords of Feedback, you’re gonna need several breaks to iron out your damn nerves. Keep that in mind if you’re looking for something to clear your girlfriend from the room. This is more structured, nice and messy rock songs with road-blues hooks. Tamra Spivey has this smoky voice that know you shouldn’t trust her but you do anyway. The band has a no nonsense blue-collar get-the-rock done work ethic.
Solid tunes like "Natural Selection" are built on Ronnie Pontiac’s innately rich guitar lines and egged on by Spivey’s urging, "2000 and it’s still too slow. Let’s go, let’s go lets go! Shake it off and get it on." Pontiac inserts some surf bending to secure the Americana status. I was worried when I saw the title "Pimpin," but this hilarious story has nothing to do with white boys with no street cred posturing in Adidas wear. It’s similar to the paintwork of The Fall’s "Cruiser’s Creek" narrated by an oddly familiar crank-brained scheme. Pontiac takes the vocals on "L.A. River", which wanders the banks of Unrest meets Britpop with drag queen Holly Woodlawn. Meaty guitars and flashflood drumming. "Bleed" has a dark surf feel and curl shooting vocal effects. Spivey sounds a bit like Romeo Void’s Debra Iyall screaming, "Never trust a mammal that can bleed six days and live!" Textured fuzz and jazzy noodling on "Coyote" slow down the mood to a Durutti Column pace. "Night Prowler" gets the minimalist Alana Myles treatment. This version is way too patient. It sounds more like "Black Velvet" than AC/DC. I need more things going on to keep my attention.
Pontiac does the intentionally geeky vocals on "Kali." He shifts between two notes while the sitar swirls around him. It’s pretty interesting with chimes and fantastic drumming. Somewhat spiritual lyrics from the city, "Grace and mercy in your wild hand." The music moves swiftly as he drones to try to hold it back. Nice stretchy tension technique. Folky guitar on "First Of A New Breed" tries unsuccessfully to keep the chunking at bay. This sounds more like Jefferson Airplane than Eyes Of Pandora. The mild bits are pretty, and Spivey even sings sweetly for a minute. But in all it’s unsatisfying. On the party song "Run," Pontiac sends out the call like Fred Schnieder. Maybe they’ll like this in Wyoming, where there's nothing to do for fun. Sounds like a bad practice tape of some jam-song sketch. The nasty hooks on "GKM" will get you laid quicker than tequila. Especially with bleached blonde strippers with camaro hair and camel toes. Spivey’s enticing soliloquy will feed the imagination of those with no access to said strippers. Look for plenty of covers of this sleazy road tune. Must be destination time since we’ve reached "Las Vegas The Instrumental." Perhaps it would make good background music for the seduction of the previous song. A slower paced blues number that you’ll want for climbing slow motion out of your Charger at a filling station in the desert. Or a commercial depicting such. Not real grabbing on its own though.
As with all the albums I review, I listened to DNA around five times. Each time it was less interesting. I knew all the tricks and didn’t look forward to them as much each listen. We’ll see how they’ve matured, since I was tricked by Mr. Big; who sent me this first, then the new one. Ahh well. Check back next issue.
~Ewan Wadharmi
Track Listing:
- Natural Selection
- Pimpin
- L.A. River
- Bleed
- Coyote
- Night Prowler
- Kali
- First Of A New Breed
- Run
- GKM
- Las Vegas The Instrumental
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