Electric Six
Mustang
Metropolis Records
Looks like this high-energy Detroit band has hit album number nine. Electric Six’s style is a blend of punk, disco, and whatever sound feels tasty. Lead singer Dick Valentine blasts out nonsensical lyrics that work better as “voice as instrument” than “voice as storyteller.” In other words, don’t think about what he’s saying too much. There’s no point in slowing it down or playing it backwards – the energy is still here, but the album is lacking hits like “American Cheese” or “Dance Commander.” That’s not to say this sucks, it’s just solid without the sparkling.
The song “Adam Levine” is decent with metal chorus demands, such as “burn in hell, rot in hell, burn in hell.” I’m not sure where this bad blood comes from; Mr. Levine himself is from Maroon 5 and doesn’t seem any more Satanic than any other pop star. Another worthy cut from the band is “New Shampoo.” This cut offers “I see the man showering next to me, I’m becoming a queen.” Set to a toned-down disco beat with a jazz riff behind it, you wonder “is he coming out, or just commenting on consumerism?” Some atypical political commentary arises in “Late Night Obama Food,” but like so many Electric Six tracks, the lyrics sound like they’re going somewhere. Here, they leave you standing in front of a shutdown national monument, lost and low on cash. Musically it’s very similar to previous efforts, and if you’re a band fan it’s worth grabbing.
