REVIEW: Girls Against Boys, Freak*on*ica (DGC)
- Scott Slonaker
"Yeah, I got a taste for the hype." - "Pleasurized"
Girls Against Boys are one of those up-from-the-underground (in this case, Washington, D.C.'s '80s hardcore scene) acts that is preceded by much more press and critical approval than sales or radio airplay. Just about every music magazine has published some sort of profile or feature on this foursome. So, since a) the band's history and unique sound (muttered vocals, double-bass throb, industrial guitar and huge drums) are so well documented and b) they have been living up to the hype shoveled on them quite nicely, let's cut said filler and talk about Freak*on*ica, their sixth record and major-label debut.
The advance press has labeled this record a step towards pop concession (hinting at a "sellout", of which there is no such thing) and away from the thunderous, locomotive-like grooves on 1996's House of GVSB. I beg to differ. Instead, the band is continuing a trend begun on 1993's Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby and 1994's Cruise Yourself, a slow but sure gravitation from the Grunge-O-Rama Lounge house band to sophisticated, industrial-edged, beefed-up '80s-era synth-dance-rock.
Not that the first single, "Park Avenue", shows much of that. The leadoff track's buzzsaw crunch might just get GVSB filed next to Korn at some of the more clueless hard-rock radio stations. But "Pleasurized", track two, brings in some of the more recent additions to the ever-expanding GVSB canon. Star Trek phaser-ish blippy synths and the occasional odd turntable scratch meld with the more familiar elements to create a potent edge-of-apocalypse disco tune. Tracks like "Exorcisto" and "One Firecracker" showcase the band's expert rhythm section of bassists Johnny Temple and Eli Janney and drummer Alexis Fleisig. The sound they create is positively monstrous. There may not exist a more potent rhythm section in current rock music.
Then, there is "singer" Scott McCloud's raspy, debauched voice, which is able to walk the line between muttering and singing like no one since Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen. Lyrics, however, are more for atmosphere than much else, utilizing futuristic and pop-culture references ("You do yourself insane Disneyland, NYC", "You're thinking Calvin Klein") that do functionally little to flavor the potent soundscapes created by the music. No matter, though- GVSB is about the groove. This is not intended to be brain food.
Girls Against Boys possess immense talent and a distinctive sound. Freak*on*ica may not be able to match House of GVSB's sheer sonic impact, but it displays a developing pop sense that manages to walk the line squarely between the Cure and Ministry without sounding even remotely derivative; the band is much more real and raw than the former, and more flexible and seductive than the latter. If they hit the big time, they'll deserve it. Such a talented and unique band belongs in the spotlight.
