REVIEW: Consolidated, Tikkun - Survivor Demos (Orchard)
- Jon Steltenpohl
If there's one thing you can say about Adam Sherburne, it's that the man has a purpose. In a world of talk-show whiners and armchair quarterbacks, Sherburne has spent a lot of time putting his opinions into action. This has been the one constant in Sherburne's life since he transitioned himself from a second rate Depeche Mode clone with his previous band Until December into the activist machine known as Consolidated.
Those who've followed Consolidated though its decade long life have been treated to a rollercoaster of musical styles supporting Sherburne's dogged liberal beliefs. Whether it be animal rights, the evils of big music labels, or women's rights, Sherburne is focused and driven. Unfortunately, it's hard to follow Sherburne's musical styles. What started out as industrial dance beats has diffused over the years into Jimi Hendrix licks. Sherburne and partner Mark Pistel made some incredible beats on their first few albums. But, as Sherburne has gone off on his own, the sound faltered and eventually bottomed out with Dropped.
Tikkun - Survivor Demos, Sherburne's latest work, follows in the shoes of Dropped. But, where Dropped sounded muddled and unfinished, Tikkun comes alive. Sherburne is getting better with his Hendrix licks and his melodies. They still don't flow smoothly, but at least Tikkun's songs are slightly catchy and listeneable. There is a nice balance between ballads and dance and "noise" tracks.
Sherburne's message on Tikkun focuses on tragedies in his personal life and on his continued focus on feminism as it applies to the male perspective. The tracks relating to his personal life are heartbreaking. The lead single, "Impermanence", has a decent melody and is lyrically devastating considering the personal tragedy behind it. (Download the mp3 at: http://www.consolidatedmusic.org/juke.htm).
"Sex Work" is one of the best dance tracks Consolidated has written in the past 5 years. It is dense and engrossing while also carrying the subtext of the problems with the sex industry. Over and over, Sherburne repeats the harrowing phrase from the holocaust that "work makes you free".
Of course, unless you follow Sherburne's message, other tracks might just turn you off. He tends to mix and match thoughts in a stream of consciousness that can be overwhelming. Consider the closing lyrics on "Behold the Power of Cheese". "I'm so glad that you like stripping but it / Won't stop johns from killing prostituted women / You ass licking entrepreneurs try to sell your manure / You can't use my name it ain't yours / I still use music to resist the grip of capitalism's rule / Monoculture", raps Sherburne. Lyrics like this don't exactly roll off the average tongue.
Still, those who've followed the Consolidated saga will find that Tikkun is a step up from Dropped and the dance tracks are similar to some of Business of Punishment. Aside from current fans and those who share Sherburne's political and social views, Tikkun probably won't appeal to the general population. But, if you need a fix for the unique Consolidated experience, Tikkun is worth a listen.
