"for $19.95 you can get 20% more freedumb brand"
-from "Wake Up!" (Brewer/McNiss)
Late post because I'm a tad down today, but this blog isn't about me and my mopey depressed whatsit; it's about the music! So away with that bullsh#t, and let's get to reviewing.
I can't remember exactly when I encountered HUMANWINE's music. Probably stumbled on them from someone else's posting about a band they were playing with or something of that nature. I heard a couple songs, downloaded a few off their myspace page (I think), and eventually ordered the full length album when it was officially released. For lack of cash at the moment and a lack of anything new that caught my eye this week, we're going to backtrack to last year and rant about their debut album Fighting Naked for awhile.
As a quick disclaimer, my copy of Fighting Naked is touted as a limited 1 of 1,000 edition; I don't know if they are planning on a different edition being released (or currently being sold on their website) or if that later edition will feature different music. Or if they only plan on doing 1,000 copies of this album period.
Fighting Naked features some fascinating combination of styles. The first thing that leaps out at me is how much metal influence is in their music. This is pretty heavy stuff. Cabaret has a spot here, but not as much as other think. There's also a sort of demented carnival aspect to their sound that has a niche in the contemporary independent scene; unfortunately, not a big enough niche. More people need to be listening to this sort of stuff. However, HUMANWINE's greatest strength is when they whip out the battered tea kettles and drumsticks and start clanging like unchained children in the kitchen bashing pots and pans with wooden spoons. It's good to know their inner child is still alive and kicking... and making a lot of noise. There's some damn good guitar work on this album, as exemplified about four minutes into "Worthless Ode."
Holly Brewer's vocals are a massive strength to HUMANWINE. They probably wouldn't be nearly the band they are if she were not the singer she is. I can't push her voice enough; she's phenomenally impressive. Not falling into the typical growling of metal is probably the biggest plus in my department, but she leaps past that standard and goes running off into the distance with a variety of highs and lows and fantastic melodious tones that I can't get enough of.
Initially, I didn't really like Fighting Naked. On first listen, it was too much metal, too heavy, and not enough of the found-object trashbanging that I was hoping for. I have to say it's grown on me, but I still maintain that one of my primary criticisms still holds. They are too politically driven with much of this; it's a trend in the arts that I have been concerned about for some time. Yes, I know the past eight years have been a nightmare of government abuse and psychosis, but we can only be reminded of this fact so many times before we shut off the stereo. Everywhere I go, I find another writer and musician decrying The Shrub and Darth Cheney. To HUMANWINE's credit, they do perform their protestations with a distinct flair that is lacking in much of "thou doth protest too much" music that is being spewed out ad nauseum all over any area with some much a slight inclination towards the political left. As such, I am forgiving of them for this; they aren't one-note on this topic either. There's plenty of variety lyrically speaking, and as I've already said, Brewer can deliver these lyrics with potency.
The design aesthetic for Fighting Naked is really cool. The demented drawings on front cover, back cover, and liner notes follow the crazy carnival concept that in so prevalent in their music. I really find the strategic placement of the bar code on the back cover amusing in a black humor way, and the notice next to the FBI warning is a riot. Those few sentences say more than just something funny; it's also a testement to their counter-culture standing, that they rebel not only in their lyrics, but also disapprove of government interference in the will of the artists.
My favorite tracks in "Rivolta Silenziosa," "Dim Allentown Cove" (it's practically a pirate song, how could I not love it?), "Worthless Ode," "Script Language," and the quiet and touching "When In Rome." There's also a hidden track of a spoken word experiment thing in the style of a news report, which then runs into another version of "Script Language" recorded as to sound like a static-obscured film reel, complete with appropriate sound effects. Oddities like that are what really make an album for me, the little touches that really drive the atmosphere.
Fighting Naked is a strong cup of coffee, so I'm going to recommend listening to a variety of their songs online before committing, or perhaps catching them live instead. I've wanted to catch one of their shows for awhile, but our schedules never match up (when they are in the area vs. when I have to money to actually see them perform). I've heard they put on a wild show, so I figure there isn't much to lose by spending a night out to watch the madness. They're opening for the Squirrel Nut Zippers (that's a blast from the past name, isn't it?) on July 18th in Boston, so I suppose they are catching someone's attention. The Rum-Soaked Review jury is still deliberating on what to think of HUMANWINE; it's a wild ride to be sure, but there's a few things that are holding me back from screaming out praises and falling to the floor enraptured by the sound. Not perfect, but doing a fine job nonetheless. I look forward to what they will do and where they will go with their sound; their style could be applied to a variety of subject matters, and I hope they pursue different concepts with their future efforts.
HUMANWINE's website and myspace page
