|
MonkeyRat’s debut album review- a wild musical chimera
What do you get when you marry jazzy, funky, rock-fuelled Scandinavian beats with the passionate,
no-bullshit-take-no-prisoners preaching of an Italian-Canadian songstress? The strange-but-beautiful, groovalicious beast of a band called MonkeyRat, named after the Chinese astrological signs of its spacey main members, the husband-and-wife team of Arnold Ludvig and Anna Iachino.
With a name like, Fuck The Jante Law, you know this album will not pull any punches. But to quote its title track, you must, “free your mind” to fully appreciate MonkeyRat’s brand of spoken-word social commentary and free-flowing melodies. Backed by the rhythmic compositions by Ludvig, a self taught, jazz trained bassist, artfully assisted by Alain Apaloo on guitar and Johan Kolsut on drums, Iachino variously raps, screams, and shouts about the tyrannies of capitalism, hypocrisy, conservativism and conformity, especially the so-called Jante Law, a small-town Scandinavian mentality that drags down anyone who stands out.
The heavy riffs and gruff vocals on Money Takes Flight and Towering Cowards are a welcome antidote to the dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the powers that be. MonkeyRat carpet bombs the establishment, decrying “America / Home of the Free / All for the Man / And none for me,” and putting it bluntly on Critically Hip: “Hypocrites, politics / It’s the same shit!”
But it isn’t all cynicism and seriousness. Cheeky references to Austin Powers on Sex in Wonderful Copenhagen and the amorous ways of Pepé Le Pew on Adore Me, Don’t Bore Me point to the band’s playful, sexy side, while the funky, head-bobbing second track, What a Day, jives about floating away on a “big fat jay.” A little Catholic school girl rebellion, with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
Listeners with eclectic musical tastes will pick up on the album’s varied influences, from Sly & The Family Stone, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Rage Against the Machine to Meshell Ndgeocello, Marcus Miller and Jaco Pastorius. But MonkeyRat’s unique mélange of styles, ties it all together in an original, creative bow. So take a bow, because this album is gonna blow!
**** ½ stars
Giancarlo La Giorgia
Freelance journalist
LetteratiMedia.com
MonkeyRat
Anna Iachino: vocals
Arnold Ludvig: bass
Alain Apaloo: guitar
Johan Kolsut: drums
special guests: Deborah & roWan on vocals
Artwork on cd cover: Valera Iachino Durand
_MonkeyRat on Myspace_
_See MonkeyRat live on Youtube_
_Buy or listen to the songs on Itunes_
|
;)
