The Mint Chicks
Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!
Milan Records
5/10
Only a few complementary words describe the Mint Chicks latest release “Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!” Quite simply, the native New Zealand act failed to deliver a memorable album. All fourteen songs stayed in the safe range of experimental noise rock and power pop. The band did not take on the necessary risks that could have made this album special for first-time listeners and dare I say, for the loyal fans of the Auckland foursome.
Even as winners of five New Zealand music awards last year, translating the same success on American soil is a difficult task for any band on the rise. Facing this added pressure to attract a new audience could have paid off handsomely for band members, Kody and Ruban Nielson, Michael Logie and Paul Roper. But after listening to the entire U.S. debut, there was nothing that distinguished their sound from a plethora of artists in the same category. Bottom line- this album did not do the band justice.
First of all, the opening track “Ockham’s Razor” had 18 seconds of silence. By not starting off the record with a bang, it was a bit unsettling. The continuous guitar rift over the lead vocals provided by Kody Nielson made the track very catchy but it was not enough to truly project the record forward in terms of building excitement for the rest of the album.
Instead of standing out musically, the Mint Chicks showcased fascinating cover art and amusing song titles. Each picture in the CD jacket had something bizarre on each page. For instance, a skeleton dressed in a black suit shaking hands with a figure donning a red suit. Instead of head, there was a clenched fist wearing red nail polish. Not only were the pictures colorful but song titles such as “This is Your Last Chance to be Famous, My Love,” and “Don’t Turn Me on Just to turn on me,” added a splash of life to this monotonous-sounding record.
But do not discredit the band completely because they did have some interesting tracks such as the radio-friendly tune “You’re Just as Confused as I Am,” and the humorous “If My Arm was a Mic Stand, would you Hold my Hand?” In the second song in particular, a classic rock guitar solo shined through but only for a brief time.
Even with a surprise live element towards the end of “Walking off a Cliff Again,” and a spotlight on the analog synthesizer in “Ammie,” the album fell short from beginning to end. Consider the final track, “100 Minutes of Silence.” The title alone conjured up images of emptiness and wasted time. While credit should be given to the distortion at the end, it failed to captivate throughout the entire piece which was frustrating for a listener who tried to appreciate this musical expression for what it was worth.
Overall, the album was forgettable even though a few song titles would suggest otherwise. But all the clever titles on the world would not have saved this CD from mediocrity.
-Gail Navarro