WeirdOs

O.s Tash Keary and Joe Henwood were once told their music was for weirdos, and on their debut album, they embrace that notion wholeheartedly by stripping experimental rock to its most brazen, fiery essence. Though drummer Keary and baritone saxophonist Joe Henwood both have years of experience within Londons jazz scene, their evolution from their first single, "OGO," to WeirdOs has been profound. The Slice EP was a promising glimpse of the duos potential, encompassing grimy dub, skittering dance rhythms, fuzzed-out rock, and audacious funk with equal abandon. This time, Henwood and Keary opt for intense depths rather than breadth. Though their longtime producer Dan Carey is no stranger to working with freewheeling artists, its rare to hear an act go for the jugular the way O. does on WeirdOs. As they tap into the furious energy of their live shows, they rock harder than many acts armed with guitars and stacks of amps. They waste no time snapping their audience to attention with the menacing, mischievous "176," where Henwood deploys riffs as wicked as any from six strings as Keary bashes out an elephantine rhythm. Throughout WeirdOs, O.s deep love of metal and punk is evident, even if the way they channel that ferocity is far from traditional. "Green Shirt"s hurtling rush shares musical DNA with hardcore; "Slap Juice"s churning energy is feral enough to start a mosh pit; and "Cosmo" rivals doom metal when it comes to volcanic catharsis and distortion. Though O. never lets up over the course of the album, they bring a welcome amount of range to their onslaughts. Kearys awe-inspiring breakbeats power "Micro"s frantic jungle assault, while the rain-slicked noir echoes that begin "Whammy" evoke the duos roots before veering in dramatically different directions. Most often, O.s jazz chops make themselves known in the brilliant interplay that makes WeirdOs such thrilling listening. Keary uses the space around her and every part of her kit to its fullest, with her teasing stick and hi-hat work on songs such as "Wheezy" providing the perfect complement to her bandmates wails and screeches. In turn, Henwood uses his effects as deftly as he plays, conjuring alien funk on "TV Dinners" and a swarm of organ and violin-like drones on the thundering standout "Sugarfish." Far from limited and much more than a gimmick, O.s approach on WeirdOs is undeniably strange -- and a lot of invigorating fun for anyone who loves music thats as unpretentious as it is inventive. ~ Heather Phares

サックス奏者のジョン・ヘンウッドとドラマーのタッシュ・キーリーというユニークな組み合わせによるロンドンの男女2人組。全曲ライヴ録音されたこのデビュー作は、ディストーションのかかったヘヴィーなサックスと自由で激しいドラムを中心にしつつ、ジャズ/フュージョン、クラブ、メタル、サイケまでを飲み込んだジャンルレスなエクスペリメンタル・ロック。テクニカルかつ初期衝動溢れる演奏が見事にパックされており、その魅力がダイレクトに味わえる作品だ。プロデュースはフォンテインズDCやブラック・ミディらを手掛けてきた、スピーディ・ワンダーグラウンド主宰の名匠ダン・キャリーが担当。
bounce (C)赤瀧洋二