The class-clowns of synth-punk are back with their fifth album after a five-year recording hiatus was broken by a Kickstarter campaign last year.
The New York hybrids deliver, populating the resulting effort with fun, energetic and chaotic tracks, true to their cheeky fuck you form.
‘Witness’ is a fitting opener, with flamboyant vocalist Jimmy Urine smoothly bellowing, “I am the best, fuck everybody else…” seven seconds into the record.
‘Fuck Machine’ is one of the album’s quintessential rock efforts, but the dance goods are situated in the latter half of the track line-up.
Consummate groove track ‘Casio’, happy hype-up ‘Jack You Up’ and subversive dance number ‘Ass Backwards’ – with an opening that justifies an album listen alone – are highlights.
While the standard-length formulaic songs signal a departure from previous albums, any conservatism is offset by the band’s standard defiant lyrical content.
With enough “motherfuckers” to constitute a Jay-Z album and a comprehensive inclusion of Urine’s sexual commentaries, the eclectic rockers are clearly enjoying themselves, relishing their fan-funded studio sessions.
You’d be hard-pressed to find much metal, although cognisant listeners will appreciate the variety of genres solidly executed.
‘Kill You All In A Hip-Hop Rage’ laments over the contemporary state of hip-hop and rap while attempting a decent embodiment of the genre itself.
Some tracks suffer from repetition and become comparatively banal, and an unnecessary cover of ‘The Logical Song’ closes the album, but these are minor discretions in the scope of what is a fine return to form.
