Wonky, clattering rhythms, swampy reggae-tinged new wave, skittering, slanted guitars and a wildly unconventional approach to composition and arrangements… this album has got the lot. Welcome to the very weird and equally very wonderful world of Phall Fatale.
Terms such as ‘eclecticism’ and ‘hybridity’ are common currency in the world of music journalism and PR, but Phall Fatale stand as the very definition of these words, and ‘Moonlit Bang Bang is a veritable explosion of ideas and styles.
‘Sugar Drops’ somehow manages to bring in elements of jazz, spiky post-punk and crazed big band swing and still sound good. I haven’t heard anyone other than Foetus pull off such an audacious amalgamation of genres in one single move.
That Roli Mosimann produced the album no doubt helps – one half of the Thirlwell side-project Wiseblood and a former live member of the touring version of Foetus, he has experience of such idiosyncratic music. It’s also fair to assume he also understands dynamics, particularly on the percussive side, as ex-drummer of Swans.
From the hypnotic and swampy ‘Electric Eel’ to the thunderous funk rock groove of ‘Ring the Bell’, it’s a wildly eclectic and often intense ride. Much of the intensity stems from the superficial naiveté of the lyrics: there’s almost a child-like quality running through the inspirations for songs like ‘Tree House’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Crocodile’ – but then there are titles like ‘Manic Depression’ and the fact that, beneath the surface, the lyrics are pretty fucked up.
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If the lugubrious string-augmented grunge of ‘Fish Tank’ (lyrics) calls to mind Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, album’s power still ultimately lies in its innovation. If that sounds like a contradiction, it perhaps needs to be heard to fully appreciate just how radical and truly unique the clash of forms really is, and just how effectively it pulls together. Face the strange – and feel its force.
Phall Fatale Online
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