Archie Bronson Outfit - Coconut

  by Jon Rogers

published: 3 / 3 / 2010

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It would have been very easy to keep plugging away at a good thing. With the band’s previous second album 'Derdang Derdang' the trio played up to their 60s garage rock influences to the hilt – and did it very successfully too and with 'Coconut' it would have been rather tempting to continue in that vein. But 'Coconut' sees the band reaching out into new areas and adding greater textures to their sound and more willing to try new things (this is as opposed to being experimental). Sure the dynamic cut and thrust of old is still there with the tortured rumblings of 'You Have a Right to a Mountain/One Up On Yourself' and the frenetic run through of 'Wild Strawberries'. Both are harsh, dissonant slabs of psychotic paranoia. In stark contrast though there is 'Chunk' which slows things down with a slice of what seems to be 80s pop-funk with an acidic aftertaste that wouldn’t be so out of place on a Gang of Four album. In fact though it doesn’t really work that well and by the end finds itself chasing its own tail. A more successful change in direction comes with 'Bite It and Believe It' where a few eerie sound effects are thrown into the mix and Sam Windett relates a bitter tale of broken love. The basic, raw and rudimentary sound of the Archie Bronson Outfit is taken and then added to rather than any completely leftfield changes. And the choice of Tim Goldsworthy as producer has paid off. With previous credits for LCD Soundsystem, and Hercules and Love Affair he probably wasn’t the most obvious choice but Goldsworthy has managed to take the band’s garage blueprint and added extra dimensions and tones and colours rather than a radical new approach. Admittedly it isn’t always successful as with the rather country-twang of 'Hunt You Down' which never really goes anywhere and makes the band sound close to being hillbillies. But the misses are thin on the ground and the following 'Harness (Bliss)' quickly sees the Archie Bronson Outfit back on fiery form. 'Coconut' may not contain anything that is as instantly catching as 'Cherry Lips'or 'Cuckoo' but 'Coconut' might just, eventually, prove to be the more accomplished work.

Track Listing:-

1 Magnetic Warrior
2 Shark's Tooth
3 Hoola
4 Wild Strawberries
5 Chunk
6 You Have A Right To A Mountain Life / One Up On Yourself
7 Bite It & Believe It
8 Hunt You Down
9 Harness (Bliss)
10 Run Gospel Singer

Label Links:-

http://www.dominorecordco.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DominoRecordCo
https://twitter.com/DominoRecordCo
https://www.youtube.com/user/DominoRecords
https://plus.google.com/+DominoRecords

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