SHAFT, THE JUMP ROPIN' FOOL

By: B -- 11/2/05

I have a crazy fascination with playing Trendsetter, so when I read reviews of the Go! Team’s debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike, I was intrigued. Apparently this album has been all the rage across the pond for over a year (delayed in its release to the States due to permission of all the samples); deemed to be the ultimate dance/party album.

That was all I needed to hear. I needed this album. Was this the new Midnight Vultures? The new Scissor Sisters? The new Junior Senior? By God, could it be the new Iffy?

Well, no. No it is not. The Go! Team’s debut has no precedent. It’s an electronic funk album, with drums and horns blasting over layers and layers of samples.

What sets it apart, though, is the lack of singing. All my other favorite party discs actually contain words, mostly in the form of verses and choruses. Thunder, Lightning, Strike is essentially word-free. The few words are basically fuzzed-out cheers and repeated anthemic chants. They blend in with the sound and function as an extra instrument. It sounds Gorillaz-esque; Biota Bondo played instrumentally.

Or more specifically, Thunder, Lightning, Strike sounds like a combination of a 70’s blaxploitation film soundtrack and background music to a national double-dutch championship. Maybe a perfect party album for some, but I’m painfully white, so my ideal party album is one I can actually sing to while bouncing around like a goon. Plus, my robot sucks.

The electronic Thunder, Lightning, Strike is impressive in its ambition and spirit, and though it’s as irrelevant as Kid A, I can appreciate the energy. I wish I attended parties cool enough to play this album.

Buy Thunder, Lightning, Strike on Amazon

CRITICAL RATING: 6

POP RATING: 7

B’S RATING: 6.5

TAKE ME TO THE TOP