BM Linx: 'Black Entertainment'
Many bands these days over lap their music into many genres, especially in intertwining rock and electronica (ie; Enter Shikari). But very few make it work at all and well, quite frankly, very few make it interesting.
However this three piece band from New York manage to hit the spot with their second album, Black Entertainment.
Lead vocalist, Tony Diodore , uses his voice to great effect on the album, which reminisces slightly at times of Tom Meighan of Kasabian and the Music’s Robert Harvey.
The bouncy psychedelic approach of the group hits the nerve when you listen to it, making you want to chuck on your trainers and roam on down to the nearest rock n roll bar to fulfil the experience.
Tracks such as the opener, 'Valentine', emphasise this. The catchy chorus accompanied by some simple electronic beats fits well with some twanging guitar slipped in for good measure.
Things take a more traditional rock n roll approach with the following track, where an acoustic/ bass drum build up threateningly turns into a heavy session of mouthy lyrical content, seemingly in reference to a stupid kid who just wants to be cool(hence the title ‘the outlaw of Jimmy Rose’).
The first single off the album, 'Kids on Fire', is a fantastic eclectic mish mash of echoey vocals and electronic sound, with speedy and heavy guitaring used for terrific rhythmic effect. It’s non stop rioting rock which I’m sure will serve well when the group take stage at the SXSW tour.
Influences of Kasabian can clearly be identified during the middle part of the album, where things take a more settled approach but there is still original variation which is vital for albums that go down this particular route of mixed genre music. It still makes for compelling listening.
After the relaxing and happy acoustic instrumental 'White Limousine', which uses the strings in the background to heart warming effect, '123CAT' brings out tough techno sounds to proceedings. It’s so irresistably trancy you wouldn’t be surprised to here these particular samples heard during a heavy clubbing sesh in Ibiza. The sheer thrashing of it during the track works well, giving it a semi-industrial edge to it.
The back ends of the album unfortunately veer off into a dull mix of acoustic and instrumental nothingness, with little substance to see the album off on a high.
That aside, the album provides fresh and inspiring sounds and compels rock music and electronica to levels that other bands in the same bracket should aspire to.
Words: Sean Wright
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