Go Kart Mozart - Mozart's Mini Mart

by Tommy Gunnarsson

published: 1 / 3 / 2018

Label: Cherry Red Records
Format: CD

Lo-fi and self-consciously amateurish indie pop on fourth album from Go-Kart Mozart, the latest project of Lawrence Hayward of Felt

Review

In what is maybe a pure coincidence, Lawrence of Felt is releasing his latest album under the Go-Kart Mozart moniker the same month as Cherry Red is re-releasing the albums Felt recorded for them in the 1980s (also reviewed in this edition of Pennyblackmusic). After the demise of Felt back in 1989, Lawrence first released albums under the name Denim in the mid 90s, and later on went on to take the name Go-Kart Mozart, where he collaborates with various musicians. On this, the fourth Go-Kart Mozart album, Lawrence has teamed up with a band of players that goes by the names of K-Tel, Top Button, WH Smiffy, Rusty Stone and PG Phipps to record an album that according to the label is “the most commercial set of songs that Lawrence has ever released”, which really is a daring this to say, as mr Hayward is known for not taking the easy way through the music landscape. The first single off the album was ‘When You’re Depressed’, and after about thirty seconds I thought that I was listening to something else. I began to do a quick brain scan to find out what it all sounds like, and the closest thing that comes to mind is John William Davies, who released a lot of singles and EPs during the late 90s and early 00s under a variety of different names, such as Teen Anthems and Supercute. He also had a knack for great song titles, with examples including ‘I Hate Oasis (and I Hate the Beatles)’, ‘Paul Weller = Antichrist’ and ‘Welsh Bands Suck’, titles that could easily have fitted on a Lawrence album too. Davies’ recordings were amateurish, to say the least, and mostly done with an electric guitar, a cheap synthesizer and a basic drum machine, and it’s that sound that is echoed on ‘Go-Kart Mozart’s Mini Mart’. And, yes, I know. Go-Kart Mozart has never been about giving listeners a hi-fi experience, but still. That said, I want to point out that there are some fine songs on here,such as 'Relative Poverty' and the opener 'Anagram of We Sold Apes', and some of the lyrics are quite humorous as well. But while the 25 year old me would have loved this, the 40 year old me isn’t that impressed. Sadly.

Track Listing:-

1 Anagram of We Sold Apes
2 When You're Depressed
3 Relative Poverty
4 Zelda's in the Spotlight
5 Big Ship
6 Nub-end in a Coke Can
7 A Black Hood On His Head
8 Facing the Scorn of Tomorrow's Generation
9 A New World
10 I'm Dope
11 Crokadile Rockstarz
12 Knickers On the Line By 3 Chord Fraud
13 Chromium-plated We're So Elated
14 Man of Two Sides
15 Farewell to Tarzan Harvey
16 A Ding Ding Ding Ding Dong!!
17 Anagram 1st Prize Reprize