Saturday, July 07, 2007

Future Kings of Nowhere CD review



Thanks to Kim from 307 Knox Records for passing along this CD by Durham's Future Kings of Nowhere. Thanks also to Kim for putting the bug in my ear that they remind her of Billy Bragg. Musically, I didn't hear it at first, though listening to Billy in comparison gave me an "a ha" moment. More than anyone, though, FKON reminds me of The Jam, with "I Want You" reminding me subtly of "Town Called Malice."

Lyrically, Shayne O'Neill's clever way of dissecting relationships is up there with such Bragg classics as "Must I Paint You a Picture" and "The Marriage."

Sometimes, though, O'Neill can get a little carried away, such as on "10 Simple Murders," a cow-punk western so gory that I just can't listen to it. The song does, however, feature some nice saw playing by Catherine Edgerton, who, along with Kym Register, is also in Midtown Dickens. Any song with a saw is at least half OK.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Shayne's lyrics also remind me of Elvis Costello his sick-tortured love songs and wide vocabulary.