September 12, 2006
Album Review: Thunderball's Cinescope
Thunderball may define their music in press releases as “cinematic, dub-laden compositions full of intrigue,” but their newest album on D.C.’s Eighteenth Street Lounge Music label, Cinescope, is a mess – a disorderly combination of too many benders while watching Rat Pack films and “Shaft in Africa” with some forgettable guest vocal tracks.
The album doesn’t start out so cluttered, however. Openers “The Road to Benares” and “Electric Shaka” (with suitably electric vocals by Afrika Bambaataa) evoke imagery of traveling first class from Miami to Morocco with true jet-setting hipsters. But the next few tracks leave you thinking more about Pam Grier than Pan Am. The middle of the album bogs itself down in clichéd 1970s funk with throwaway James Brown-light vocal spasms and lines like “Get down with the feeling/Get down and I’ll show you how.” Afrika Bambaataa shows up again, but this time he’s reminding us about “Thunder in the Jungle, y’all” about 30 times over the span of a four-minute song. And just when you’re settling into the funk, Thunderball throws some dance hall into the mix with the song “Strictly Rude Boy,” featuring Thievery Corporation collaborators Roots and Zeebo. It’s a nice change of pace, but it sounds suspiciously like something Groove Armada has already recorded – but not as good and at half the speed.
The album improves slightly by moving back into first class with the stylish tracks “The Mysterious Mr. Sandobar” and “Lost Vagueness.” Thunderball musicians Steve Raskin, Sid Barcelona and Rob Myers have shown they can put together some fun tracks when they are focused. But at this point in the album, the listener is either confused with which decade he's supposed to be in, or has lost interest entirely.
That said, it can be difficult to get through Cinescope in one listen. Truth be told, I almost made it once. But maybe the album isn’t supposed to hold up on close inspection. Maybe it’s only meant to serve as background music for cocktails at a swanky hotel bar or airport lounge. If that is the case, Thunderball has succeeded ... to some extent.
Cinescope drops Oct. 17. Thunderball will be appearing at ESL Music nights throughout the fall with Ursula 1000, Nickodemus and Ocote Soul Sounds.
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As a former employee of ESL music, it doesn't surprise me that this sort of self-indulgence could come out of DC. In fact, this is probably the only place where this sorta racket could carry on!
Ahh the irony. Local hipstertronica music scene paves the way for local blog hatronix.
And giving the date when something "drops" is about as tired a euphemism as calling it "the information superhighway" or "building a bridge to the 21st century."
And saying when something "drops" is about as worn-out a euphemism as "information superhighway" or "building a bridge to the 21st century."
Thunderball is tired. That "recycled and put through a blender retro '70s hipster" stuff they do wasn't even fresh in 1997 or whenever they launched. Thunderball recently played live at a pool party to help a real estate company sell condos. Now that ain't cool!
Enough with the retreads, folks, make some new sounds.
Monkeyrotica is right. From now on, DCist, please refer to arrival dates using the following format:
"On [date] we will christen the cleveland steamer that is [event]."
That would be much more hip.
If you're going to waste time calling out a blog every time it uses a cliche you're going to be a very busy man . . .
Yeah, kinda like shooting chimps in a barrel.
But some of us LIKE shooting chimps in a barrel. Is that too much to ask?
since when did my beloved DCist a. start reviewing albums b. nearly 6 weeks before "it drops" c. blatantly diss a local act (ever?) and one that has reached intl success, tho I agree the sound is now a bit played out.