aaamusic | On 28, Apr 2012

El Doom & the Born Electric’s self-titled album, for all intents and purposes, is nigh on unfathomable. Melodramatic, labyrinthine and always teetering on the unhinged, it blends exotic-sounding scales with a theatrical Nick Cave style vocal delivery and musical attitude. And did I mention that they specialise in meandering prog-tinged wig-outs? But among the fluctuating impact, there are some sonic delights to be found.

Opener ‘Fire Don’t Know’ mashes up heavy metal swagger, a cheeky cowbell, and a psych-blues ominousness that brings to mind The Mars Volta and Grinderman in equal measures. Then it briefly spirals into chaotic guitars before slinking back to the rhythm and vocals creep, and subsequently hitting Mars Volta lunacy, albeit with residual suspicions that perhaps the band are human. Just. The last four minutes reach a climactic rollercoaster ride that may persuade you otherwise, even if the metallic solo starts to flag. Unfortunately, this slightly directionless metal fanboy-ism carries into the intro of ‘It’s Electric’, before it catches momentum and dives straight into a sinister sprinting verse. The chorus brings back slinky percussion and dense vocal tracks, but unfortunately they’re too far back in the mix to really loom like they should. The shifting atmospheres too don’t quite burst out enough, despite some admirable riff control and orchestration from the band.
‘With Full Force’ perhaps doesn’t initially live up to its promise, but the burst of bassy psych-rock riffs are a tasty treat after the meandering intro and a tense, tightly-coiled jittering guitar. It then launches into the almost danceable swaying rhythm it hinted at initially, with a massive pseudo-gospel effect unfolding on the vocals that is unfortunately pitted in competition against some very impressive but misplaced guitar noodling, but the swirling organs and vocals win out for what is a full-on ending. The heavy psychedelia lopes on in the booming drums and slo-mo metal bassline of ‘The Lights’, the shortest track on the album, and one that still manages to feel like Dr Frankenstein got unleashed on a record shop with a soldering iron and melted together some Ozric Tentacles and a pop ballad nightmare.
‘Subtle As A Shithouse’, as well as being one of the most easily enjoyable tracks on the album, could be a mission statement for the band. Even when exercising some (barely maintained) restraint they feel like they’re engaging in the musical equivalent of a very choreographed school food fight, and then when they get going, there’s no holding back. On a track like this with its gleeful self-awareness the whole experience is a grin-provoking experience. Elsewhere, perhaps not, but the tongue-in-cheek moodiness and spectacular sense of presence of this particular track lifts the album considerably. Unfortunately, the eleven-minute run time of ‘Red Flag’ begins to, well, flag. In some respects, it makes a great slow-burner, but El Doom and co. have already made an album of swirling, looping quiet/loud/big/little repeated sections, and yes it can work, but it starts to develop gaps after too long.

‘El Doom & the Born Electric’ has some bloody good ideas on it, and some truly excellent musicianship lurking around every corner, but unfortunately it just never quite pays off, being too unfocused and in trying to showcase absolutely everything it all just gets a bit too much and overshoots the mark.

★★★★★

Katie H-Halinski