Monday, August 18, 1997
Spiritualized "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" (Dedicated/ Arista) Just when you thought the Chemical Brothers and Primal Scream gave you a fair share of electro-psychedelica, along comes Spiritualized. Packaged as a pill (the CD itself comes in a silver wrapper within the pharmacy-labeled jewel case), Spiritualized's retro-pop indeed sounds like drug-induced acid-rock.
The group gives us a record that doesn't have too many radio-friendly songs (except the hazy Primal Scream-meets-Oasis "Come Together"). But the package as a whole flows wonderfully. With '60s and '70s influences from the Beatles and the Jam to the Doors and Pink Floyd, "Ladies and Gentlemen ..." soars as an atmospheric and multi-layered sensory perception overload.
Its distinctness comes from the hints of '90s synthesized elements floating among a sea of organs, guitars, horns and tambourine-tinged rhythms. It's also reminiscent of such "Madchester" bands as the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays.
Much of the record sways from gentle and subtle vocals highlighting long, organ-dominated pieces to power jams with every possible classic instrument joined in. Standout examples range from the chaotic "All of My Thoughts" to the nicely mixed "I Think I'm in Love." Great for those lazy days in front of the lava lamp, "Ladies and Gentlemen ..." blends the best of classic British rock from the past thirty years into one fluid and intricate album. No doubt you will trip out on the music alone. Mike Prevatt B+
S.H.E. "3's A Charm" (Trauma) Light, neat and sugary sweet that's S.H.E., the girlie girl trio that chirps, whirls and doonka doonks through their youthful tunes on "3's A Charm." Call their sound a hybrid of Brownstone at their youngest and an older black female version of Hanson, and there you have the blend of la-la voices from Jaimee, Jania and Tyren.
It may be best to begin this album last song first, and proceed backwards, 'cause the beginning is full of unsophisticated, repetitive melodies that you'd expect from songs called "In the Middle" and "I Wouldn't Take Her Back." Here, youth blatantly stares you in the ear when squeaky Mariah Carey-esque screams and basic drum beats bring out yawns.
Fast forward to the meatier tracks where "24 Hours" reveals that these girls may not just be another group of Seventeen-magazine-send-us-a-tape-of-you-karaoking contest winners. The watery whisking harmonies are innocent and the simple lyrics ("Twenty-four hours feels like an eternity/ every single day that you've been away from me") are soothing.
The minute-long interludes are entertaining with "Hi Mommy, I Love You," a series of quick high spoken lines that slow and go low by the end, and "I Can Do That" a short a capella segment of guttural doonkas, das, and silly boppy wah wahs.
"3's A Charm" is a teeny-bopper, femmy-fem's dream, filled with songs about love, ache, and more love, but if you're not in the mood for adolescent attitude, maybe S.H.E.'s just not right for you. Nerissa Pacio B
Mirabal "Mirabal" (Warner Western) A mix of traditional Native American with pop/rock beats and Anthony Kiedis-like vocals, Mirabal gives us "the alter-Native" album. Robert Mirabal's original rock sound is a unique attempt to make Native American music sound more contemporary through such influences as Dylan, Springstein and Mellencamp.
He mixes his own "American" experience with the Native culture. Expressing both forms of music in one, his songs are either more rock-n- roll or more Indian based.
Using his Indian flute talents (the Eagle, Elk Call and clay ocarina flutes) and his amazingly pop-like vocals, Mirabal creates music which at first seems strange and bizarre. But the more you listen to it, the more you are drawn to its mystical sounds, repetitive drum beats and airy flute tunes. Haunting at times, the music evokes chills, especially with its themes of social ills and Indian life.
Often, he repeats too much, making one wonder if he has anything else to say, but one must realize that Native American music relies on repetition.
Mirabal's unique sound isn't for all, but those with a variety of tastes should listen, especially those who appreciate adult-alternative music. It's something original and different. Although it possesses remnants of the already-popular New Age ambience (which incorporates much of the tribal Indian flute sounds), Mirabal is a breakthrough for this old culture and yet a stretch from traditional Indian pow-wow sounds. Sandra Kim A-
311 "Transistor" (Capricorn) More spaced-out music! 311, the alternative band who blend reggae, hip-hop and punk, have released their first double album (for the price of one!) that proves more isn't always good.
"Transistor," like Radiohead's "O.K. Computer," takes on themes of the demise of the computer age, fascinations with outer space and hopes for a better future. The space theme runs amok through the album, and the spacey keyboard reinforces the sci-fi feel, making this album more unique than their last release.
Less than half of the album contains this unique, possibly-ethereal sound though. The rest of it is considerably less trippy, with blatant, crunching guitars sounding more metal than punk. Only the songs with 311's signature reggae beats resonate with any kind of pleasant melody. Songs like "No Control" sound like harder b-sides from their last album, while "Prisoner" and "Beautiful Disaster" give the head more of a break with their lazier guitar styles.
Their single "Transistor" starts off the album with a bang, applying 311's new atmospheric reggae-punk. Yet its lyrics ramble like some hip-hop artist bragging about how great his band is. Lines like "If you want more beats for your buck, there's no luck" make for great irony looking at their pricing strategy but reek of lame self-promotion. Others sound like a bunch of junior high kids on the first day of creative writing class ("This song started as a rant against haters/ But that'd be giving in to the instigators").
The album never takes off from there, but winds back and forth from banal ("Use of Time") to tripped-out ("Creature Feature"). After 21 tracks, you may be ready for a nap if you haven't fallen asleep already. "Transistor" has its original moments, but most is played-out skater reggae that never lives up to its ambitious themes. Mike Prevatt C+