scarecrow reviews
1.26.2005
The Others - The Others
*
It has to be said that live The Others are tremendous, but transferred to record, well, um, they sound pretty bad I'm afraid. This eponymously titled album is literally split asunder, straight down the middle like a scratch in your favourite record, its dichotomy's and schism's ostensible to all - in the blue corner we have lead vocalist Mr Dominic Masters and in the red his fellow band mates. Can the failure of any debut be more clear cut than this? I doubt it. This record is haunted, let down, nay, dragged down by Mr Masters and it cannot be saved. Never have such adolescent, juvenile downright appallingly laughable and ridiculous lyrics been heard since, well, story-time at the nursery. For instance (from Stan Bowels): "I'd stare at your eyes as you helped the children You're quoting Voltaire or Ginsburg to the adorned in your kitchen Sipping ice tea in the summer Victoria park, yeah" Apparently this little number is about Pete Doherty and not the QPR legend. Or how about this (from current hit Lackey): "Wanna escape for a while I'll get a new idea I'll start up a band get a brand new plan find some way out of here You need some way to be free that's not just a dreeeeaam YOU NEED SOME WAY TO BE FREE THAT'S NOT JUST A DREEEEEAAAAAAM CHICKA-CHICKA-CHICKOWWWWW" I'm not even going to mention the sublimely ridiculous (from This is for the Poor): "This is for the poor and not you rich kids..." Okay fair enough Mr Masters, your atonal warbling voice is starting to grate now - and it really is a bad voice, you could say more Wurzel Gummidge than Iggy Pop. But miraculously, somehow, this record hits you. How? One may wonder. Bassist Johnny Others that's how - his punk-tinged Mancunian-esque bass pulls this record back from the brink. Tracks such as Psycho Vision seriously move along, rumbling with the same desires that make tracks of this ilk great. Music for the hell of it. Bowel-busting cool. Johnny Others steers the listener away from Mr Masters childish rants and the entire record is wondrously saved - just. But I don't think this is enough. The sad thing about this record is the underlying feeling the rest of the band do not seem to acquiesce with Mr Masters' teenage diatribe. And does Dominic Masters seem to care? I seriously doubt it. A shame really. Let's hope I'm wrong, because for the way this raggletaggle outfit treats its fans alone they deserve all the success in the world. So what can I say other than this is no Definitely Maybe and is a weak debut? Not much. This shows, but what the hell does that matter? I'm just a lone voice in the wind. The kids love it it'll be a huge hit. Go and see them live now.
Lee Rourke © 2005.
