Moke
Carnival
Artemis/Ultimatum
From the ever-suspect Artemis Records comes Moke’s Carnival, a misfit record if there ever was one, especially for the usually grab-bag label. Truly, the British quartet’s sophomore album is all over the place • from The La’s-esque Merseybeat of “Today” to tense, melodramatic rock ala Jeff Buckley in “Screen” to leadoff single/track “My Degeneration”’s appropriation of Oasis’ Blind Faithful “Fuckin’ in the Bushes,” only with vocals • but through such an intermingling of seemingly disparate idioms, the record none-too-vaguely looks/sounds like Primal Scream’s genre-defining/starting Screamadelica a decade ago, but only more rockin’ and dynamic and less belabored and danceable. As such, Moke out-scream prime Primal Scream these days, namely because they set their sights on the dance floor, bedroom, and airwaves alike, the lattermost element compounded by the band’s penchant for big, radio-ready choruses (prime example: “Slide”). Yeah, hardly revelatory, but rendered with such ingenuity and aplomb, Carnival should hopefully find some happy customers.
Artemis Records, 130 5th Ave., New York, NY 10011; http://www.moke.com, http://www.ultimatummusic.com, http://www.artemisrecords.com
