Powersolo - Buzz Human Album Review

Arhusian experimental/psychedelic garage rockers Powersolo emerged from the studio early last year clutching their latest studio album Buzz Human, the group's fifth in a ten-year career. A band this accomplished does deserve more of a background check before going into a review, but that's four albums and ten years worth of listening and I'm generally a lazy person so let's dive right in.

The album as a whole is a throwback to late '70's garage rock, like a modern day Cramps or the worst parts of the Stooges. The duo, brothers Kid Kix and the Atomic Child, have spent enough time in the studio to attempt a well arranged album and they do succeed with this, with each instrument having its say. But on an album that is generally more miss than hit, this isn't necessarily a bonus for the group. The musicianship is good at parts and fits in with the garage/punk aesthetic they are probably going for, but the album is so confused it is hard to take any of it seriously at all. 'Satisfy the Man' is one track that at first sounds like a slowed down 'Brand New Cadillac' until the repetitive lyrics and drone filled vocals come in. The track continues its unusual build with the listener waiting tentatively for a key shift that unfortunately comes into fruition around the two-minute mark in the shape of the surf-rock plucks and howls from the singer. I'm not sure why he's in so much pain but it's nowhere near as bad as the pain he's putting the listener through.

The album is far from brilliant, but it's not exactly dull. It is jam-packed contrasting lyricism and choice of musical styles, ranging from surf-pop ('I Love You But I Hate You') and sludgy stoner rock ('Acid Orchid') with offbeat and at times humorous lyrics.

The band must not take themselves too seriously, the darkly humorous 'To Hell' exemplifies this with lyrics like; "we're all going to hell/it's hot/it's hot in hell," topping it off wit a "Hell Yeah!" The band performs a genre that is very fun to make but at the same time very difficult to make right. The duo has decided to go down the fun route and obviously don't have much anxiety over acclaim when they're enjoying themselves. Good for them I say.

2.5/5

Joe Wilde