The Constellations
Southern Gothic – CD Review
Virgin Records
6/10
When I first picked up the record and read–The Constellations, I knew it would be my next Racket victim. The band’s name sounds like a Motown group, but the eight-piece group from Atlanta does not use enough tambourines for that. There are definitely plenty of handclaps though! Scanning my eyes downward, I read the title of their debut album, Southern Gothic, and my mind instantly went to Faulker. However, what ensued was not grotesque southern literature but rather, a clusterfuck of awkward sounding party rock and gritty grooves.
Some of us like awkward, but let’s be honest here. The way the album was put together sounded confused to me. There was evidence that Southern Gothic is a journey of the potentially seedy Atlanta nightlife, but my ear did not follow the flow. Still, there were some good jams like “Felicia”, “Love Is a Murder”, and “Step Right Up” (A Tribute To Tom Waits). “We’re Here To Save The Day” had an excellent groove too, especially with front man, who I thought for a moment was Elvis Costello (his real name is Elijah Jones) and Asher Roth’s verse. Cee-Lo is on the record too! With a Goodie Mobber and Asher Roth on the record, you know it’s going to be somewhat decent.
Southern Gothic is available now on their official site: http://theconstellationsmusic.com.
– Kateri Lirio