By: Rinjo Njori

"Don't believe the hype . . . it's a sequel" should be the mantra for today's indie rock scene. Far too often critical praise or hype surrounds a few tracks from an album and neglects the overall body of work that is the album. Grinderman is getting that treatment and in this case it's a crime. If you believe the hype then Grinderman, Nick Cave and the 3/4 Bad Seeds, sounds like the second coming of the Gories. Granted they do dip their toe in the collective blues-fueled garage rock maelstrom, but for all intents and purposes this is all Abattoir Blues and none of The Lyre of Orpheus. In other words, Cave and the Seeds have found a natural extension of their last album.

Taking their name from a Memphis Slim song, Cave and The Seeds have become Grinderman. This includes "sleazing" up their image (check out Cave's handle bar mustache, the grubby sophisticate look, etc.) and pushing the limits with their music and lyrics. They run the gamut from hardcore blues punk ("No Pussy Blues") to more typical Cave songs ("Go Tell The Woman"). The hype has definitely been inspired by the first two tracks. "Get It On" and "No Pussy Blues" are part spoken word, part song. Each opening with Cave's mantra which is then backed up by the rest of the band. The lo-fi rumble on "Get It On" sits comfortably at the back of the song as the piano and drum provide the percussion and drive for the song. The whole band singing back up recalls 50s R&B. "No Pussy Blues" fits so perfectly with Grinderman's perceived image with Cave endlessly ranting and raving about his inability to close the deal. What starts out as earnest advances quickly descends into psychosis. This is beautifully matched with musical chaos that recalls The Gories and The Dirtbomb's Horndog Fest.

"(I Need You To) Set Me Free" will definitely attract Afghan Whigs fans, perfectly blending Black Love's darkness, with the more soul drenched moments of 1965. I found myself wondering if Greg Dulli was singing back up. Even the bass line sounds suspiciously like John Curley. The most "by the numbers" garage influenced track is the organ driven "Honey Bee (let's fly to Mars)." The song retains much of the punk intensity inherent to the garage punk resurgence of the early 00s, but adds a little more. There are even some psychedelic flourishes in the song that beef up the song significantly. "Man in the Moon" and "Electric Alice" are more aligned with the more recent output from Cave and the Seeds. The intensity is still in the song, but it's more psychological than the brute force exhibited in other tracks.

The only real drawback to this album is that it works so well as an album and chances are most people will only hear the singles. In this single track fueled music society most people will miss the highs and lows of Grinderman. The whole album experience gives this project from Cave and the Seeds a whole new dimension that this non-Cave and Seeds fan absolutely loves. Chances are though most people will Get it On with the No Pussy Blues and Fly to Mars with their Honey Bee. In other words they will follow the hype and not this fantastic album.

Labels: Grinderman, Nick Cave