Smile is German odd pop legends Robocop Kraus first new album in 15 years. This is about the bands 6th album. I wish I had heard them a long time ago.
The album opens with the intense intro to Young Man a frantic treatise on how the band perceive this particular Young Man, what exactly he's cooking up in the kitchen, the sound is densely layered, so needs to be played loud to hear everything going on in the mix, as it pulsates like Spiritualized hanging out with The Orb.
Innocent Fun is exactly what it should sound like, basic bouncy good fun indie pop, to go out and have a good time too, while realizing the lyrics may have a twist, but it doesn't matter, that kiss was just innocent fun with a great chorus to shout along too.
On Repeat is stuck on that same treadmill, when you should be looking for harmony and the right frequencies, like they try to get the perfect grind for those coffee beans, The ones I ground before this review are medium Fine Ethiopian beans grown by women, as making coffee to write reviews too is often On Repeat in my world.
Giant Love has that sort of Devo quirky synth pop, with modern twists, odd repeating samples of odd sounds, while trying to find love at the bottom of the well, love ecstasy and marriage among the odd phased sounds of motherhood, evolution in a quite Talking Heads sort of way.
World/ Inferno is another pandemic anthem for our times with our eternal need to throw off the shackles, do what you want too over searing rousing widescreen alternative indie.
Cradle Of Filth is about sharing a train ride with my old friends Cradle Of Filth, who have always been the nicest guys off stage. This song tells quite a good COF tale although they don't touch on the legendary poster that got them banned from the Vatican, that features my girlfriend's best friend Lisa on the cross. I love this song as it sounds so much like it was hanging out chatting with Paul and Danny.
Cannonball sadly isn't a cover of the Breeders classic it is much more laid back with an oddly 80's It Bites meets Easterhouse sort of feel.
Under Control is dark broody yet uplifting as it tells us they have their feelings Under Control, when you know they are actually a seething mess of emotions, far less controlled than the metronomic beats and guitars.
Savages is like a reductionist remake of Young Savage but a bit more upbeat than Ultravox's vision, as we all clap along rejoicing at being normal Savages.
All The Idea's begins with a pulsing sound and some languid synths hush toned vocals claiming he's about to have a lightbulb explode in his head any moment while sitting staring blankly at a wall.
What I Wanted is an upbeat indie rock anthem for getting just What I Wanted full of wanton lust and the good behavior you need to exhibit to get your just rewards whatever that might be.
The Boy's No Good is a slow song of young lust for the wrong sort, as your best mates tell you just how hopeless it is going out with a twat that treats you like that, come on respect yourself and leave him.
The Foul Stench of Our Time closes the album as an angry street punk anthem of despair at what we have come to in this century, this is Subhumans meets Dead Kennedy's ranting.
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