REVIEW : Fugazi Red Medicine (Dischord)
- Martin Bate
Fugazi, eschewing major labels and the machinations of the music industry conform to the old punk ethos of not fleecing the fans without being shackled by the conceived notions of what a punk band should sound like. Rumours since their last album, 1993's In on the Killtaker, have suggested that all was not well in the Fugazi camp and so it's come as a bit of a surprise for a few that Red Medicine has suddenly appeared. On the strength of this, their sixth album, and their live performances in the UK the week after its release, Fugazi are back ripping things up in fine style.
Their combination of punk moves with Gang-of-Four style rigid funk has got subtly more screwed up with each successive album to match their, more often than not, obtuse political and personal-angst lyrics. Red Medicine continues the development - like all Fugazi albums not messing with the sound too much but never repeating past glories. If I had to pin down the change in the sound here, it would be that this album sees Fugazi getting a little bit older and wiser, sounding less angry and a little more world-weary. There's more of a leaning towards slower, creeping songs and Guy Piccioto's punk whine over Ian McKaye's hardcore snarl although to my ears its still McKaye that steals the show. Just my preference.
The low-key opener "Do You Like Me" rocks past before giving way to the first of the album's gems - "Bed for the Scraping" is decidely poppy and utterly brilliant, built on a way cool looping, infectious riff and Ian McKaye's frantic vocals. It's Ian again who dominates the alternately eerie and crushing "Birthday Pony" with his maniacal laughs before the laconic "Fell, Destroyed" with Guy's ice-cool monologue flowing into the warning "Ring the alarm or you're sold to dying" chorus - its possibly the closest Fugazi have ever got to a conventional rock ballad structure.
The lyrics to "Target" are another highlight - one of those moments where Fugazi become unerringly clear. "I realize that I hate the sound of guitars/A thousand grudging young millionaires" and the chorus of "If you want to seize the sound you don't need a reservation" shouldn't need explaining to anyone.
Bassist Brendan Canty takes vocals on the excellent "By You" with its delicate picked interludes crashing in and out of drawled vocals and wrenched chords and feedback; there's the four-square punk of "Back to Base"; the instrumental "Version" where brooding bass is set off by bleak saxophone squeals, sounding like a 3am walk through the scary rain-soaked streets; and the closing, breathtakingly sad and hopeful "Long Distance Runner" where it's impossible not to freeze as Ian states "And if I stop to catch my breath" before almost whispering "I might catch a piece of death" - a hint at a mid-life crisis ?
Like all Fugazi albums, it needs repeated listens to get into and, like its predecessors, it's not quite consistent enough to be incredible. But it is their sixth album in a row to be very, very good and I can think of few other bands that can claim that.
