Two things, heavy heavy HEAVY reliance on Bjork in terms of production and vocal affectation. I love Bjork so I actually really like the sound of the music but still, feels very unoriginal to me. Second, listen to Silent Shout. Do you hear the way Karen EMBODIES the people she is talking about? That’s what makes SS an unpretentious and amazingly powerful piece of social/sexual commentary. All she has to do is BE the person and you suddenly understand all the fucked up details that make this world so weird. CR have a terrible time really inhabiting the improprieties they feel and see. They want to critique but only in a distanced, disdainful way. This is pretentious and precious and just unbecoming in general. If you can’t seriously inhabit the people and things that make this world fucked up, you certainly can’t convince me you really know why and how they are wrong and disturbing in the first place. Also, seriously fuck that album cover. Way to make your whole image even more unconvincing with shitty ren faire photoshop text and a Coldwell Banker sign in the distance, as if anyone needs any more proof they’re just being put on.

I think a good deal of the problem lies in the fact that this whole album is basically jock jamz run through a distortion plug-in married with some seriously weak (melody + delivery) vocals. It is the essence of noncommittal, ‘contrived to be cool’ music. The production is lousy, the musicianship is lazy and it seriously rehashes a terrible time in hip-hop. It should work well on the 12-15 demo, along with the shitty new MIA. This is a garageband baby that should’ve been aborted a long time ago. If you want some summer party tunes, listen to Le Tigre and Funkadelic, lord even some DFA 1979. Do you feel that? That feeling is excitement and it is created by judicious use of groove and soul. Recognize it and seek out music that has it. Your children will thank you.