Mr. Kickass

Album Review

Using everything at its disposal, this album would act as the ideal epilogue to XTRMNTR by Primal Scream. This is especially true on the ambient "Glass Lining," perhaps being a homage to the British group's "Trainspotting." From the opening hip-hop beats on "Que Pasa USA," the band intends to present an enjoyable yet challenging hour of music. The aforementioned track also has a heavy dose of electronic and industrial sounds throughout. "Time Leverage" opts for a drum'n'bass vibe, but also contains a jazz element to it, particularly in its off tempo and timing. The ABBA sample from "Super Trouper" only adds to the delightful confusion. One of the album's signature pieces is "American Smooth Division," an ominous and unnerving track fitting for a horror film soundtrack. When the band sounds a tad more mainstream or dance-oriented, it's to its own brief demise. "Prime Numbers" resembles a Fatboy Slim outtake, while "Thongs and Bongs" adds little to the record. In certain instances, a trip-hop plan works well. "Terrible Monster Attacking Crew" has a significant Massive Attack influence to it. Fearless in experimentation, the results are quite positive on "Ten Record Challenge," a brief dub reggae track that strolls along perfectly. The only track that seems uninspired is the eight-minute "Fantasy Football Is Stupid," a song sounding aimless and boring. But "Supply and Demand" could be mistaken for a future James Bond theme, despite the dialogue samples and threats uttered. The album is very solid from start to finish, and is recommended for those who don't like cookie-cutter musical formats.