MINI REVIEWS: Dario G / Catatonia
- Bob Gajarsky
A U.K. number one record is no testament to greatness, as many previous British chart-toppers can attest. The latest in the line of pretenders to the throne is the British trio of Scott Rosser and non-siblings Paul and Stephen Spencer, better known as Dario G.
'That' single which captured radio listeners across Europe and was even chosen by Nelson Mandela as the theme song for the Red Cross promotional campaign in South Africa is "Sunchyme". A combination of world-music dance beats, lilting piano and a mix of the Dream Academy's 1985 hit "Life In A Northern Town", "Sunchyme" perfectly utilizes the power of sampling technology and creative spirits. Unfortunately, the rest of Sunmachine (Kinetic/Reprise) is nothing more than a series of blips on the musical map.
The title cut here samples David Bowie's "Memory of a Free Festival", and is the only other tolerable track on an otherwise forgettable debut. "Carnaval De Paris" sounds like "Clementine" performed at a bar-mitzvah, and the rest of the album reflects a cleansed version of ambient and techno music in a seemingly never-ending series of repetitive derivative beats, stripping its soul and leaving what remains behind - elevator music.
A third-rate Utah Saints.
Another group 'cursed' with the UK number one position is the Welsh band Catatonia. Fronted by the charismatic Cerys Matthews (who had the good sense to duet with Space on "The Ballad of Tom Jones"), they hit the top of the charts in Britain with the full-length album International Velvet (Vapor / Warner).
There's no denying that the group has the *potential* to record one of the 'classic' British albums; "Mulder and Scully" (which, other than the title, has no X-Files references, thank goodness) is a top-notch indie-rock classic which lives up to all the advance billing. "Road Rage", the follow-up single, also turns down the same path of guitar rock which has been falling from favour in 1998 Britain.
These two key cuts provide ample evidence of Catatonia's abilities. Unfortunately, much of the remainder of International Velvet languishes in the level of B-sides. "Game On" and "I Am The Mob" are top notch album tracks, but from there, things go downhill. "Don't Need The Sunshine" could be an acoustic Beautiful South song, but this critic thinks "Sunshine" is an example of a good idea not quite completed. "Why I Can't Stand One Night Stands", may be a great title, but the song plods along without much purpose.
Definitely of interest to fans of UK indie-rock, Catatonia's American debut falls short of the expectations launched by the massive international hype machine, and the music-buying public would have been best served with this as a 6 song EP, until enough good songs were composed. More than anything, the success of International Velvet amplifies the dearth of good independent British groups.
