Licky - Press Fire To Continue
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LICKY, PRESS FIRE TO CONTINUE Fri Feb 24 20:11:09 2006
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| by Anna Higgins | ||
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| reviews by this writer. | ||
If you don't like annoying electronic drums, then Licky are not the band for you. THERE ARE NO REAL DRUMS ON THIS ALBUM.
Forwarned with that piece of information you can settle down and listen to this electropop fest from the New York duo.
I could call them 'QUIRKY' but that's such an old hat word. They come across as a couple of immature boys who sooo want to be stars. In their world swearing is big and clever. They swagger around with an 'I'm gonna piss you off' attitude. They like to be referred to as 'controversial'. Yawn. About as controversial as an orange in a wet sock.
All that aside, 'Press Fire To Continue' is well crafted, a bit like the late lamented Atom And His Package in places and in others they sound like Freezepop. But it doesn't stop there. There's so much more to them then that. Occasionally the guitar gets a look in and is used to good effect and the whole thing turns into spiky, edgy electropunk. Sometimes they leap into they're own bizzare little world, like on 'Fancy Pants' which is a song about electronically controlled trousers that improve your dance skills! Ha! The Goodies did that 25 years ago (Wicked Waltzing, available on DVD now!)
Songs like '128 Bits Of You' really show off their musical flexibility. It has a sound like Eno and Robert Calvert collaborating in an alternative universe. The Eno type sound rears it's head all over the shop as in 'Never Coming Down' and 'Uh Oh'. There's really nothing devastatingly revolutionary in the style of the songs but it has a unique freshness that makes it sound new. White Rapper Riot just makes me wanna go play on my Atari. It starts off like a motorbike game that I always crash in.
'Just My Luck' is more like it. Good old fashioned punk which you HAVE to kick things to (I recommend other peoples furniture). Their boyish sense of humour is in evidence throughout the entire album. Not all would appreciate the tongue in cheek thread on songs like 'Pretend To Be Gay' and 'Goth Girls'. I for one found myself smirking despite being mildly bemused.
It's certainly a catchy set of songs, the like of which hasn't been around for quite a while and I can't quite decide if I really like the album or whether it just annoys the hell out of me. Would I punch them or buy them a beer? That's what I like about the album.
I shall, no doubt, be pondering this little quandary as I listen to this album over and over again.
I look forward to them growing up a bit
Track Listing
01 - A Band Called Licky
02 - Fancy Pants
03 - Mista Big Spenda
04 - Never Coming Down
05 - Uh Oh
06 - All The Young Dorks
07 - Goth Girls
08 - White Rapper Riot
09 - It's Just My Luck
10 - Look Of Love
11 - The Licky Tape
12 - 128 Bits of You
13 - Olympic Sex Gold Medalist
14 - Pretend To Be Gay
15 - Touchy Feelay