|
Review: Jack Foley
OKAY, get turn those red baseball caps turned back to front,
say f**k a lot and jump around violently - the Bizkit are back
with a no-nonsense, F-word laden album that went down a storm
in America.(Surprise, surprise - Ed)
In truth, Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water
(great name!) is not as bad as it sounds. Yes, it's loud.
Yes, it's not advisable for young kids to listen to; and yes,
a lot of it sounds the same; but there is a lot more to it than
singles such as Rollin' and My Generation might
suggest.
Certainly, the aforementioned two are the Bizkit at their best
when thrashing around, while earlier offerings such as Hot
Dog (with its claim that "fuck is just a word'' - then
why use it so much, guys) simply suck and demand skipping.
Life In The Fast Lane is also good fun - and is dedicated
to Ben Stiller ("my favourite motherf****er'') - but the
best of the album is still to follow.
Current single, My Way, offers some indication of what
to expect. It is slower, more thoughtful and far more intelligent
than much of the previous stuff, as well as featuring that trademark
heavy guitar.
The album really kicks in with The One, a far more mellower
effort, featuring lyrics such as "dead from all the loneliness'',
which shows Limp Bizkit to be more than a band about attitude
and swearing and guitars. This could be the one to set them apart
from the current hip hop cum thrash trend sweeping America with
the likes of Blink 182 and Linkin Park.
The fusion of hip hop and rock is fully realised with the melancholic
Getcha Groove On, with the warning "You don't want
to f**k with me today''; "Don't you treat me like a toy kid...''.
It may be infantile to swear so much, but the track does have
attitude and a certain style which sets it apart from the guitars
which dominate and which echoes back to the band's earlier hip
hop style.
Take A Look Around is the Bizkit's Mission
Impossible II offering, a slow building, totally cool fusion
of that theme tune and their sound which effortlessly evokes memories
of Tom Cruise performing front wheelies on motorbikes or hanging
from cliffs, John Woo style.
Better still is the melancholic It'll Be OK, another slow
builder about the break up of a relationship which just screams
inner turmoil and pain.
It is a refreshingly personal offering and one which manages
not to lose its way amid the guitars. I'm sure it would make a
good concert time out. There is feeling in these songs, even if
they follow a certain style.
The penultimate track, Hold On, is another example of
this; and even refrains from getting loud. It is my personal favourite.
Chocolate Starfish may be an automatic turn off for anyone
not into the current trend for loud rock and hip hop, but for
anyone willing to give it a listen, or for fans of the band, then
this offers plenty. Check it out before you toss that cap back......
(So sad! - ed.)
|
