Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 09/30/2008
Semi Precious Weapons have taken elements from glam, garage, punk, funk, and new wave dance music and infused them with the kind of bright, dangerous energy that's downright infectious. Frontman
Justin Tranter, the band's lead singer, has a history of outrageous performances, but even without seeing him stalk around the stage in six-inch stilettos and guttersnipe drag, the music still retains its edgy vibe. The band's blistering attack is evident on every track, but there are a few that really jump out and grab you.
"Taste" comes ripping out of the gate with a pounding rhythm and a lyric celebrating oral sex of all kinds. It leaves nothing to the imagination, without dipping into profanity -- a nice trick.
"Jesus" opens with crunchy metal/glam power chords, then
Tranter describes a young Christian girl who loves to flirt, but "only wants to fuck Jesus." The song is actually shocking, something not easy to achieve in 2008. It's a tune that's bound to outrage anyone who takes religion too seriously.
"That's Kunt" is a glam-drenched
T. Rex-style rocker about a self-destructive groupie, possibly the first rock tune to ever use the C word (although they spell it with a K) as its hook. Its irresistible rhythm will have you singing along, even though you may hate yourself in the morning.
"Her Hair Is on Fire" uses the well-known
Parliament/Funkadelic "house is on fi-ya" chant to deliver a hard rocking dance tune; lead guitarist
Aaron Lee Tasjan drops a few
Eddie Hazel quotes into his icy solo.
"Magnetic Baby" is a riff-heavy
Buzzcocks-influenced tune that celebrates
Tranter's androgynous sex appeal with another killer guitar hook and the band's feverish enthusiasm.
"Bleed to Heal" is an exhilarating power ballad that celebrates the outsider's will to live and triumph over adversity, while
"Rock 'n' Roll Never Looked So Beautiful" is another strutting celebration of the kind of excess that used to be
de rigueur for rockers and their followers as well. All the tunes are peppered with the F word and an in-yer-face attitude, but at their core,
Semi Precious Weapons are a pop band, and will sound great blasting out of car radios or headphones. They were voted New York's number one band in the 2007
Village Voice Reader's Poll. It will be interesting to see what the kids of Middle America make of them.
~j. poet, All Music Guide
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