Outside the Simian Flock

Album Review

With enough swagger to knock the Strokes off their high horse, Millionaire delivers its own daring mix of garage rock on the band's debut album, Outside the Simian Flock. These Belgian darlings mix a chaotic yet fashionable design of punk, electronica, and soul, and their effort in making their own kind of rock & roll is right on. Outside the Simian Flock could very well be synonymous with Millionaire's personal disposition as a group, but assuming that the band will kick-start your heart like all the others (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Hives) isn't completely wrong. They'll do just that and then some, a million times over, hence the slick production and the sexy appeal of the dozen-track set. From the thick basslines of "Body Experience Revue" to the schizoid riffs of "Aping Friends" and "Petty Thug," Millionaire manages to pull it off without it getting old. Outside the Simian Flock is a layered, dramatic performance and despite its feverish blend of genres, the bandmembers are keen on what's it is they're going for. Other highlights such as "Her Gender (Fixed)" and "Blindfold" are easy to digest and make it quite obvious that Millionaire won't be pigeonholed into any one category. Millionaire takes pride in being a little out there, and that's the brilliance behind Outside the Simian Flock.