posted 09/22/2008 (Mon) @ 08:00 am
>>> Music Reviews
Under the Influence of Giants - Under the Influence of Giants (2006)
Pop / Dance Rock / Funk
The Notorious B.F.G.
- Ah Ha
- Got Nothing
- In The Clouds
- Stay Illogical
- Mama’s Room
- Heaven Is Full
- I Love You
- Against All Odds
- Lay Me Down
- Faces
- Meaningless Love
In name alone, Under the Influence of Giants sounds like maybe someone crushed up and snorted a Roald Dahl character when they ran out of whippits and glue, but it’s actually an acknowledgement of record companies’ downright evil stranglehold on artists. Previously known as Home Town Hero, UTIOG decided not to let corporate ultimatums or red tape stand in the way of their music, and changed their name along with their sound. On record, Under the Influence of Giants sound like a bastard child of Cheap Trick and Michael Jackson, with a healthy dose of fat-bassed funk filling out the dance-inducing bottom end. At their best when the bass is fat, the guitars are loud and the rhythm is pounding, they’re a band with a surplus of ideas, some good, some bad, and not enough room on a single CD to express them all properly.
The album takes a turn toward slower, less blistering numbers for its midsection, and although this is hardly unexpected with song titles like “I Love You” practically screaming “I’m a ballad!”, this change-up remains disappointing after the adrenaline rush of the album’s initial four or five tracks: the endorphin candy of “In the Clouds” and the anthemic, career-making, Jackson-falsetto-aping “Mama’s Room” are clear standouts; “Got Nothing” and “Ah Ha” take second tier. Skip the cheek-to-cheek plod of “Stay Illogical” if you’re in the mood for gluteal exercise. The pulse-pounding chorus of “Heaven Is Full” might help with that, so stick around.
The rest, while passable, seems somehow detached from the same qualities that make the aforementioned tracks great. “Against All Odds” features horns and groovy bass, but the sub-par chorus falls flat and fails to make a lasting impression. Sometimes too poppy, sometimes not poppy enough, the winning formula of the first half of Under the Influence of Giants is frustratingly MIA on the second half.
Still, it is only their debut under this moniker, so there’s some water treading and feeling around in the dark to be done. When they’re on, they rock. No matter your previous dance experience, “In the Clouds” will make you shake your ass (or want to) and then kick you square in it with its, well, kick-ass bridge guitar riffage.
Definitely a band to watch. It will be interesting to see what they can come up with for their sophomore release. Here’s wishing for more cloudy days in mama’s room…
- Music video: “In the Clouds”
Tags: dance, experimental, funk, retro, rock, vocalists
