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Covered With
Ants
Guttermouth |
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They do have a way with words I'll give 'em that much… "That's Life," a sardonic and dirt-shoveling opening number with a creepy overtone and cranky chorus… not the most accurate indication of Guttermouth instrumentally speaking, they're all volume and quite a bit more leveling than their creaky introductory track-"Can I Borrow Some Ambition?" offers sloppy seconds in a mad-paced mad-cap "attention starved" beckoning that we've all sought for at one time or another but I'd dare say they're not for want of any at this point-"Secure Horizons" breaks with tradition-as traditionally as you'll get for two songs in anyway, with an interesting recorded blurb that I can't make out but they make a nice transition back to the verse… or was it the bridge, in which case they hadn't crossed it yet so no such "return" as previously suggested. Guttermouth's intent is… odd. Now with a name such as theirs you'd have to expect the worst is yet to come. Definitely in the same mold as the West-Coast Skate-Punk types with a nasty edge and playful spirit-The Offspring non-coincidentally played an influential role with the band having toured with 'em and giving 'em the inclination that Punk music could be more than just three-chord wankers out to burn the world down by its britches. They've got a real loose vibe to their playing and believe this or not, there's a variety in the songs that doesn't get you lost wondering where number four ended and seven began… they change tempo often enough, but mainly ride the mid-range for most of the proceedings and is that a bit of banjo I'm detecting on "I'm Destroying the World"? Where'd Willie Dixon come in here… damn I must be getting slow. "Chug-A-Lug Night" features some background ambience by way of a crowded bar setting and meaningless babble before an organ led intro enters the picture and all of a sudden we're back in the saddle… I mean, what's going on here? "Covered With Ants" is a fun album to listen to and I'd imagine they had their share recording it… considering their onstage exploits and knack for writing humorously funny if not all out appalling lyrics-brutal honesty basically throws on the clown feet and dances the jig straight across those censorship honchos who couldn't give a blow anyway about it at this point, Hell why would they, it sells more records! That's foresight for ya… But these guys are a trip and a half… seemingly reverting back to childhood and all of its wondrously senseless bantering and a drawer-dropping, if not jaw-dropping routine for saluting the world and all its inadequacies. All in poor taste and good fun of course… But I don't think anyone's got this much right to have as much fun with a four-letter word as they do… very rich. Released by Epitaph Records: http://www.epitaph.com/ Review by Vinnie Apicella
[va85@columbia.edu] |