Album Reviews
Chromeo
She's In Control
Vice Records, 2004
9.5 Anuses out of 10
Review by: Eliminator
I mentioned Chromeo in one of my LiveJournal entries, and I will mention them again here. They are probably the coolest electro-funk band out at the moment. Filling the gap left by Cameo and Zapp & Roger, Chromeo has made quite an underground name for themselves in the last year.
The reason: Their album She's In Control. Released in 2004 the album showcases this "new sound" (as they proclaim on the album opener, "Me & My Man"). It is not necessarily the "new" sound by definition, but how many Canadians have come out with talk-box saturated funk/dance albums in the past few years? That's right, none! So they are ahead of the pack on that.
Now this hasn't blown up into a new phenomenon yet, it is still early, you never know... They could be the next Chemical Brothers in that they bring the funk back to the mainstream. Maybe it is good that this hasn’t happened yet. While it is a good song, if I hear "Block Rockin' Beats" one more time I'm off to England to personally beat the shit out of those two Chemical Brothers wankers! Luckily the hype around them has died down and I can enjoy their new album without over-saturation.
But this is not a Chemical Brothers review, we'll get to that, so let's get back to the program.
On She's In Control the boys from Chromeo show their love for our long lost talk box innovator Roger Troutman. Every track has a nod to the great, lost legend (with the exception of "Since You Were Gone" which is an instrumental).
Now I've seen other reviews that say this is heavily influenced by Cameo. At first I was skeptical but upon re-listening to my Cameo greatest hits album I have to concur. This album is chock full of the same quirky song structures that former Elimination Dept. Political Crimefighter Larry Blackmon had going on those Cameo songs. Albeit with more talk box.
Now to describe the songs? There are a lot of songs about love and relationships on this album. It is almost a loose concept album, I envision it like this.... It's like looking at a relationship tapestry. With the particular relationship mentioned within the Chromeo album it is definitely an open relationship of some sorts. The opener, "Me & My Man" I mean... the title alone. They introduce themselves.... obviously the relationship has opened up and the two partners have decided to bring other people into bed. This is always a bad thing for relationships and sets the tone for the rest of the album.
"Needy Girl" follows and is the song about the girl getting on the guys nerves, being controlling, etc. This, again, emphasizes that this relationship is in trouble!
The next song up is "You're So Gangsta" this is the after-sex track where all three lay impressed by their sexual performance. Then on track four another woman enters on "Woman Friend" (the high pitch talkbox used on this track makes me interpret this voice as a new woman voice entering the picture). So now they've got another woman in the picture, everybody's AC/DC, it's 1969 all over again.
"Destination: Overdrive" is the future-telling track. One of the four sees the negative outcome that will come of this cooky relationship.... Track 6, "Rage!" is where the shit hits the fan and someone is mad about getting left out and forced to watch while sitting in the corner. Then the instrumental "Since You Were Gone" is the interlude while they all have make-up sex.
The next song, "Way Too Much" is obviously a lamenting track about the devious activities. After that comes the solo hit "Mercury Tears" where a morose-sounding talkbox effect is used with lyrics such as "I don't want to be with anybody at all/I don't want to be seen with anybody at all." I picture some sorry man sitting in a field all by himself in the rain saddened by the destruction of his relationship because of sexual greed.
Next up is "Ah Oui Comme Ca." I guess this is the track of the fifth French person they brought into the love affair. I guess they didn't learn their lesson the first time. He sings about the hotness of the woman's body. I envision her getting donkey punched while eating the other girl's snatch while getting fucked from behind and whatnot. Crazy I know, but it is what the lyrics cause me to envision....
"She'z N Control" finishes off the album.... This is where the woman decides she doesn't want to be simply considered "Love Meat" and fights back. The heavily distorted keyboards and guitars represent the anger this woman has felt from becoming a sexual puppet. This upsets the man in the relationship so much he hardly distorts his voice with a talkbox while he complains about his woman and her "controlling ways."
All in all no resolution is found by the end of the album. This is good, happy endings are so cliché.
But in all seriousness, this is the new sound of electronic music. Bringing back the old funk sounds of Cameo and Zapp and Roger, Chromeo look to bring Electronic music to a different extreme. At a perfect time, how many more times can the Chemical Brothers and The Crystal Method keep re-making the same song? It's good to see something new and refreshing, even if it is heavily influenced by the past. (See, the past isn't all bad!)
It also shares something in common with the likes of Andrew W.K. and Electric Six in its quirkyness. Sometimes you wonder if they are "in" on the joke. Nonetheless, the music may be quirky, but it is damn catchy and damn funky!
Track Listing:
1. Me & My Man
2. Needy Girl
3. You're So Gangsta
4. Woman Friend
5. Destination: Overdrive
6. Rage!
7. Since You Were Gone
8. Way Too Much
9. Mercury Tears
10. Ah Oui Comme Ca
11. She'z N Control
©2010 The Elimination Dept.
