Friday, June 12, 2009

Album: Chain and the Gang / Down with Liberty... Up with Chains!

Artist: Chain and the Gang

Album: Down with Liberty... Up with Chains!

The latest vehicle for Ian Svenonius, known for his work in Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up and Weird War. After being introduced via their live show, the album sounds a little dinky in comparison — clean and spare, almost like a demo. That robs the songs of the sweaty raunch they really need to get over, and without their live energy, they could be mistaken for aimless rehashed genre exercises. I don't think that's the case so much as I think this albums isn't the best of all possible arguments for these songs. The vox and some of the garage-primitive R&B bring to mind David Johansen, but when at his best, Svenonius manages to work in a sneaky critique of nothing less than contemporary American society. Not without its charms, though, as Svenonius has a slightly unwholesome magnetism and an ear for subtle sloganeering.

Track Pick: 5 - "What is a Dollar?"

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