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Janet Vodka
Okay. Yes. It's true. Chris Sauer's voice sounds downright snotty, like the kind of guy you'd want to get away from at a swanky dinner party but he's the host's son and you have to humor him. But he can sing fine, even hitting the high notes and sneering his points so they get across.
And yeah, the horns are too high in the mix, to the point where they often sound like insects buzzing around your head. But I can't remember the last time I heard a non-ska horn arrangement as nifty as the ones on, say, oh, Angels or Famous or half a dozen others. You'd think they were some kind of super-cool party band or something. (Oh wait, they are. Well alright, then.)
And I'll allow that the songs sound maybe a little overwritten in places, but that's what happens when, after your first round of mixing for this LP, you throw your rough tracks open to the public and ask them for input, and they actually provide it (the New York Times did a piece on this), in droves. The upshot is that every tune on this CD sounds polished, with very few dry spots, even within each song. Little sonic squeaks and piano fills and feedback loops are sprinkled throughout like, um, like curry (which is apparently chemically addictive, which explains a lot). It's cool. And screw you if you disagree, but I like maybe-slightly-overwritten songs that sound like someone read a book once. (Not since Weezer, something something something.) It's a bit cluttered, but you know, it's the best kind of messy sound, full of pop references (90210, recovered abuse memories, the Hudson Line) and name checks (Ginsberg, Basquiat, James Dean) that serve to contextualize what they're going about. Not that you couldn't tell just by listening. Their message is clear about the kind of big shiny slightly glammy noise rock they intend to bring, and by gum, they bring it, all the way in.
So that being said, I can't help but notice that the two songs that address their rock-stahhh ambition (Famous and Day Job) start the CD, while the two that mention violently climaxing (viz: Sweet Bitch - "The last cum knocked you out," I Hate It - "I hate it when I cum so strong") close it out. That makes this a concept LP about a spiritual journey that starts in the tabloids and ends up in your pants. And that's always a fun trip.
