tUnE-yArDs: whokill

tUnE-yArDs
whokill
Rating: Grrrr

Merrill Garbus' first album under the tUnE-yArDs moniker, Bird-Brains, was self-released on cassette, recorded solely with a hand-held digital recorder. Many found the album charming it its low-fi way, but for me, the cheap sonics were a hindrance to any true enjoyment. Despite the ramshackle nature of the recordings, the songs were intimate and catchy, and I hoped in the future she would at least pay for a little studio time to showcase her material in a better light. With her sophomore album whokill, Garbus did just that and the results are astonishing. Unlike Bird-Brains, you don't have to sift through muffled, clipped digital audio to find the treasures underneath. From the first track, which does winkingly begin with a crackly audio sample, whokill subverts all expectations; coming across like the long awaited lovechild of Talking Heads' afro-pop/punk stylings and Laurie Anderson's witty, ironic post-modern commentary. All of it bound by Barbus' unusual, love it or hate it androgynous vocals, which leave you scratching your head trying to figure out whether it's male or female.

"My Country" starts off with the aforementioned sample, then breaks right into a tight, tribal groove, supplemented with xylophones and a wickedly agile horn section.



Throughout the album, Garbus utilizes the same general palate for each song, laying down a dense drum pattern, interlocking it with rudimentary guitar work, and surrounding it all with odd touches of keyboards, horns, or other obscure instrumentation. All of it just a base to follow her musings on many different topics. From the body obsessions of "Es-so;"



guilt over sexual attraction to the man who arrested her brother on "Riotriot;"



and issues of race and gender in "Killa:"



The one complaint I do have with the album is that the majority of the album follows too closely to the same sonic blueprint, and the angular, herky-jerkiness of the rhythms and atmosphere can be overwhelming. Just when you can't take another patch of intricate drum programming, Garbus throws in the lovely nursery rhyme "Wooly Wolly Gong," with its hushed vocals and gorgeous looped guitar part. Over 6 minutes the song lulls you back into a sense of calm. If there had been a couple other tracks to match this song's subtleness, it would have broken things up a bit more.



For such an album bursting with life and love of music and its endless possibilities, it is a very small quibble. whookill is challenging and complex, but also a lot of fun. It will not be to everyone's tastes, but for those who like their pop music slightly off-kilter, tUnE-yArDs will be right up your alley.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.