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Verbena:
La Musica Negra
I just may be the only person who doesnt like this record. The thought did cross my mind that maybe my ears were all glitched up, and I just wasnt hearing what the others seemed to be hearing (by others I mean the two or three reviews I found from mediocre publications that rarely say a wholly negative thing about anything) but I must stick to my guns, and they tell me that this record just aint that good. Verbenas fourth release La Musica Negra dropped quietly on May 20th via Capitol Records. The opening instrumentation on the first track Way Out West is hot, hot, hot it reminds me of the opening dream sequence music in Risky Business, though I am not entirely sure about that since I havent seen it in years. Then the song really starts, and that is not exactly a good thing. Track two Killing Floor (Get Down on It) is assuredly the best song on the record. It rocks and rolls, and demonstrates that there is some great musical talent going on with guitarist/vocalist Scott Bondy, Nick Daviston on bass and Les Nuby on drums. There are several familiar song titles from others that are mentioned throughout the song, including 19th Nervous Breakdown, a Stones classic, and Mexican Radio from 80s one-hit-post-punkers Wall of Voodoo. Intentional was this? I think so, but that is unconfirmed. In my opinion, this release shows Verbena lacking vision and cohesion. The record sounds like it was borrowed from others, with more poignant versions of what they seek out to be been there, done that. Scott Bondys vocals make attempts at being truly snotty and whiskey-coated, but for the most part they just end up sounding whiney and flat. If you still have doubts, listen to White Grrls, and then well talk. I should mention that one other shining moment on the record is the song Camellia, which has the lovely addition of vocals by Anne Marie Griffin. The record goes on to jump all over the spectrum and mention, repeatedly, Jesus and Angels and some Saints thrown in there. I get the point. You dont have to beat it to a pulp. If someone I knew owned their last album, Into The Pink, which was produced by Dave Grohl, and we werent doing anything but sitting about on a lazy afternoon or something, I would certainly listen to it. I am a bit curious to see how that went. However, having to form an opinion based solely on this record, I think La Musica Negra will be relegated to background noise at my house.
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