"Barry White saved my life", croon the FLCs, fittingly in a voice several
octaves lower than Chef from South Park. The kind of music that the cast of the
movie Swingers would make, this is effortlessly slack laid-back lounge
rap of the first order. A hymn to the walrus of love himself, and his powers
to "get you back with your ex-wife", the track is funny without being
cheese-laden, and cool without being laboured (see next review for details).
Currently vying with the Beasties for the title of coolest men in rock, the
Fun Lovin' Criminals with "Love Unlimited" may just have produced the best song
of the summer so far.
"Shining Star" takes over the reins next, an almost Spiritualized feel
percolating to the top of a smoky coffee cup of a song, jazz-tinged
accompaniment (dig those muted trumpet sounds....mmmm - nice) the cream swirling around on top. Last is "10th Street", an altogether faster affair that sidles up
to Lou Reed shiftily, nicks his wallet then sprints off as apocalyptic guitar
blazes in the background, police sirens wailing before the guys slip unnoticed
into a diner for some pancakes.
Give it up punk, they're the Fun Lovin' Criminals.
Rating: 9/10
The Rest
Everything about "Pure Morning" by Placebo is class in a glass. From the spiky
acerbic guitar shards sticking out of a monotonous rhythm to the slamming
bass molotov cocktail that threatens to start off an earthquake; musically everything is
spot on, A-one, top banana. Everything that is apart from Brian Molko and his
whiny vocals and excrutiatingly cringeworthy lyrics. Like Spoilt Bastard from Viz ("me! me! look at me!"), Brian oh-so-dangerously sings about how "a friend in need's a friend in deed, a friend with weed is better" (what, like Bill and Ben?) and
the virtues of "a friend with breasts and all the rest, a friend who's dressed in leather". My, how shocking. I mean for gawdsake, who apart from
Everett True does this sort of attention-grabbing nonsense impress?? The likes of Billie and B*Witched
are more radical than this limpid whining pantomime dame. Maybe if we ignore him
he'll go away.
Or maybe not. Becasue then the atonal instrumental "Needledick" marches up to you, mincing away like Action Man dressed in Barbie's fishnets. Press "skip"
now. To find "The Innocence Of Sleep" waiting for you, like a sheep in wolf's
clothing. Another instrumental, this threatens to explode in the middle, but
never progresses past some rather uninteresting widdling.
A friend in need is a friend indeed, but a friend who tells you not to
buy this is better.
Rating: 3/10
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