bengeorge7
"Sing Along with the Windchimes with bengeorge7"
CDR
Breaking
World Records
Genres: lo-fi, experimental, diy pop
Breaking World
30 West St.
Hadley, MA 01035
May 12 - 18 2003 |
FUN.
This limited-edition disc (100 copies made) comes in a homemade
cardboard-and-duct-tape package with a mini-booklet and a goofy
"group" photo. From there, you know you're in for one
crazy ride. And bengeorge7 don't disappoint. The music on Sing Along with the Windchimes with bengeorge7
is all over the map. "Just To Make You Cry," for
example, starts off with a bunch of yelling and silly electronics,
only to suddenly settle down into an offbeat little folk-pop
number. "Royal House," meanwhile, is a vocals-only
sing-a-long with the bizarre lyrics "Down in the Royal House/I eat
my face off." It's moments like those that make you realize
how dang funny bengeorge7 are.
I don't want to give away all of the comedy gems and clever ideas
on Sing Along,
but elsewhere on this album there is a public access television theme
song ("Uncle Kenny's Theme"), numerous sorrowful pop songs
("Talk To Myself," the fantastic "Between Art &
Commerce"), and a crazed, noisy freak-out called
"Reflections on Love" featuring sensitive lyrical gems like
"I've got a hand grenade/And I'm gonna get LAA-AAID!" As well, there are
numerous untitled telephone messages littered throughout the sonic wreckage, bridging the absurd with more serious affairs.
Altogether, this is a pretty conceptual release; much of the
enjoyment it causes is due to its absurd ideas and over-the-top humour.
But it is unfair to discount the CDR as solely an idea, because bengeorge7
pull it off particularly well. The tracks, although goofy as all
hell, are well-composed and often very melodic. While you
definitely get the feeling this is just the work of two close friends
getting together for a big joke, you can't shake the feeling that they
also completely know what they're doing. Guitar talent,
well-executed electronics, and above-average songwriting only serve to
prove this. All in all, Sing Along with... is crazy
enough to be a show-your-friends type of affair, but also accessible
enough to be something you can enjoy on your own. Go out and
snatch a copy before it sells out.
87%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
25 songs, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
