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Crazy Mary:
Knucklehead
Knucklehead is the fifth release from this New York City based band, and throughout this record, they never stray too far from the basic garage rock that the city has always been known for. All of the major influences are accounted for; from the Velvets and the Ramones to Blondie and the Talking Heads its not necessarily a potpourri of different sounds, but the band obviously knows what the sound they are shooting for. Although Sophia Jackson handles vocal duties on each track, Crazy Mary shy away from her taking lead vocalist duties nearly every song features Jackson singing along with either George Kerezman or Charles Kibel together creating a chant-like sound that goes against the often clich aspects of the woman-fronted rock band. The instruments are pretty minimal throughout: your basic drums and guitars are fleshed out with organ and violin. The first half of the disc is the strongest, with my favorite track being Brian Jones, an ode to the Rolling Stone, where Jacksons detached vocals recall Nico at her finest. This is followed by Lets All Have A Party, which continues the Velvet Underground feel, and made me immediately think of Who Loves The Sun. When The Shit Hits The Fan is a funk-inspired workout featuring the New York Horns, and Land Of Jagged Mountains features sitar and violin, carrying a distinct Indian feel. After this track, however, the album steadily goes downhill. Still Water is your standard harmonica filled blues-rock song, the kind that every bar band knows and should have stopped playing long ago. The less said about Designer Dog, the better it sounds like a song that might have been featured on The Kids In The Hall, only without the funny. Duck And Cover is basically a terrorist threat checklist (with tongue firmly in cheek), which is a fitting idea coming from a band from NYC. The final two tracks also feel like filler, and the album ends on a low note, despite all the promise shown during the first half. Overall, Crazy Mary seem to be a band that wears its influences on its sleeves and is not ashamed of it; this being their fifth album in five years, it might have been the wise decision to cut the filler and release this one as an EP.
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