The Down Lizzo:
Regular readers of this site will know that once in awhile I delve into some truly weird, obscure shit when it comes to music.
I do this because when you listen to truck loads of new music constantly, sooner or later it all starts to sound the same and you need something to act as a defibrillator for your brain.
Enter Pepe Deluxe who I found courtesy of the killer music app I mentioned this morning – “Band Of The Day†http://www.bandofthedayapp.com/ (get it now, thank me later).
This Finnish band dropped their fourth studio album Queen Of The Wave at the end of January and it’s more eccentric than your buddy’s weirdo uncle who wore foil hats and got arrested every other week for painting his balls green and running naked through the zoo.
Queen Of The Wave is a concept album that blends psychedelic funk, 50s surf rock, soul, trip-hop and opera with a couple of Victorian harpsichords, Tesla Coil synths and Mellotron waterphones thrown in there for good measure.
“Refreshingly batshit†is the term that comes to mind…
Sick Tracks:
“A Day And A Night†was the song that got me into Pepe Deluxe. The bassline is sicker than a TB-ridden vagrant and, with the possible exception of the uncalled for arpeggio bridge halfway through the song, it’s kept pretty lean and mean throughout.
“Go Supersonic†is also pretty easily accessible and moves dextrously from a somewhat frantic Victorian-era verse into full-on Austin Powers 70s Tokyo girl-group, catchy-as-hell chorous.
The album opener “Queenswave†is also a great track. Faux synth bird calls are layered over a meaty bassline which is backed up with some nice, punchy drums. It’s atmospheric stuff and sets the tone nicely for the sheer musical indulgence to follow.
I also liked the slimey opening riffs of “Grave Prophecy†and the haunting sparsity of “In The Caveâ€, which is played on the largest instrument known to man, the Great Stalacpipe Organ. Built across 3.5 acres of Virginia’s Luray Caverns in the early ‘50s, this instrument delayed the release of the album by two years because the organ had to renovated.
They wanted to play it on the album that badly.
How batshit is that?
Should You Give A Shit?
At the risk of having my credibility as a music reviewer utterly destroyed, I’m going to say yes, you should give a shit.
They might be a bit bonkers when it comes to the way they arrange the tracks on Queen Of The Wave and they do have a tendency to go balls-to-the wall when it comes to dialling up the theatricality of their music, but there’s no denying that the production of this album is on a level I’ve seldom, if ever, heard before.
It’s ambitious, it’s gaudy, it’s complex, it’s bizarre and it isn’t for everyone, but it’s also a lot of fun and, because it’s so complex, it offers something different with every listen.
Here’s “A Day And A Night†to give you a little taste:
Final Verdict: 7/10
-ST
