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I didn't have the highest expectations for this CD. Hmm, I thought,
young looking band with oh-so-witty name, on a major label and fronted
by attractive female - Capitol is probably looking for a bit of video
rotation on MTV2, maybe a track on an upcoming OC episode, and then
drop 'em when the next corporate reorg comes around.
But how wrong I was ! This is an excellent slice of crunchy, poppy
rock music, with nods to punk and glam. Folks who wonder where Elastica
went wrong after their first record, are currently digging Visqueen,
or even miss Veruca Salt, could do a lot worse than investigate
this one.
Morningwood (ugh, still hate that name) are Chantal Claret
on vocals (I suspect a nom de plume here since she doesn't sound too
French), bassist Pedro Yanowitz (surprisingly an ex-drummer
for The Wallflowers and Natalie Merchant, among others),
excessively-named drummer John Paul Keenan O, and expat Brit
guitarist Richard Steel (who was in Spacehog for a number
of years). Claret is a real talent, able to go from raspy, Stooges-esque
screaming to soft cooing and back in the same song, and an excellent
songwriter to boot. The rest of the band are no slouches either; add
needles-on-the-red production by the great Gil Norton, who
has overseen masterpieces by my beloved Pixies and Echo
and the Bunnymen as well as, ahem, the Foo Fighters, and
you have a great CD that tips a hat to lots of classic influences
and, most importantly, doesn't take itself too seriously.
Most of the songs are concerned with love and lust, a couple of particularly
lubricious standouts being "Take Off Your Clothes" (which
the band's fans have apparently taken to heart during shows) and "Babysitter",
in which Claret laments not being able to "supervise" a
toothsome teenager. This kind of stuff could fall incredibly flat
in the wrong hands, but the band's sense of fun keeps things bubbling
along nicely.
In summary, and without wanting to sound like I'm writing their latest
record company press release, Morningwood's self titled CD is custom
designed for cranking up in the car or jumping around to in your bedroom,
even for those of us whose walking frames might be at risk. The band
is touring the nation with the mighty Gang Of Four in October
- I sure as hell will be there early !
-Gareth Bowles
Track Listing:
1. Nü Rock
2. Televisor
3. Nth Degree
4. Jetsetter
5. Take Off Your Clothes
6. Body 21
7. Easy
8. Babysitter
9. New York Girls
10. Everybody Rules
11. Ride the Lights
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