Thursday, September 19, 2013

Album Review: Crazy & The Brains - Let Me Go



This album came out back in May, but I have yet to review it because I'm an ass. This is the first full length release from Crazy & The Brains, a band I know very well. The music is infectious. It is a pioneering form of "party punk", and at times, the songwriting is downright genius.  It was released on vinyl, cassette, and digital download through Baldy Longhair Records. So let me just get right into it.

Virtually every review that has been written about this album until now talks about how fun this record is. People have invariably called it weird and wacky. But the prevailing consensus is that Let Me Go is a whole lot of fun. They are not wrong in their summations. But I'm going to take this from a different angle.

Let Me Go has a real undercurrent of sadness and struggle. If you scratch the surface of each track, if you look past the jovial jangling of the xylophone (it's actually a marimba and glockenspiel) you will see what I mean. This album tells the story of the uncertainty and difficulty of being a male in your 20's, trying to carve out your place in the world. Just look closely at the content. "King Kong" is about seeking epic retribution for a vicious assault. The title track, "Let Me Go", details the aftermath of a bad break up. The song itself sounds triumphant but the subject matter is still a kick in the dick. "Mexico" talks about the absolute pain of seeing one's love move very far away. It also features a verse from Adam Green of the Moldy Peaches. "Box Room" is about a close friend who has withdrawn from society. "Interlude" conveys a frantic state of mental anguish, and it's composition is sort of operatic. "It's Alright" describes being bored to fucking tears, which is a pretty horrible thing to be. You should even consider the album cover and title; the two work perfectly together. The picture is of a baby reaching out (it's a baby pic of the bassist). It suggests a "letting go" of everything: youth, love, hate, anger, control. Sometimes it's all you can do.

As I've said, I'm friends with all of the guys in this band. I grew up with the singer. So this album has encapsulated the past 5 years for our circle of friends. The singer of this band is like the bard for our whole crew. We're pretty fortunate in that regard. But that is of no use to you. What's important for you is that this record is incredible. I guarantee you have heard nothing like it. It's strange music by strange guys from a strange land. So pick this up, crack a 40 oz. of Olde English, and everything will be alright.

http://baldylonghair.com/

http://crazyandthebrains.com/


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