Published on Feb 5, 2003
Some bands are destined to release only one album that captures
the mainstream’s attention. And then… poof.
On paper, Sneaker Pimps seem to be that sort of band. In 1996,
when the mainstream music environment was a lot more accepting than
today, Sneaker Pimps dropped
Becoming X to an audience that was just warming up to
trip-hop and electronica. The Sneaker Pimps were named after a
phrase used by the Beastie Boys in reference to a guy who
tirelessly searched for rare athletic shoes.
The term perfectly describes the Pimps: the band subtlely
thieved the sounds of some earlier pioneers, such as Massive Attack
and Beastie Boys’ label-mates Luscious Jackson. However, the
Sneaker Pimps were able to tweak the formula just enough to make it
their own. And in the music world, a little tweaking is all you
need. Hell, the accessibility of
Becoming X, combined with its true-to-form experimentation
is downright admirable.
It helps that the band had Kelli Dayton’s voice, which could
turn a sweating, steaming dance floor to ice. Her cool, detached
delivery helped make songs like “6 Underground” and “Spin Spin
Sugar” dance floor hits. The songs are so enduring that they can
even be heard on some dance floors today, a remarkable feat beings
that most club songs have a half-life comparable to an opened
container of milk left out for days.
It also helps that keyboardist Liam Howe and guitarist Chris
Corner provide the memorable beats to
Becoming X. Their work makes the album go down easy, even
though it’s probably as healthy as McDonalds. The banal, pro-girl
lyrics to “Tesko Suicide” are on par with Spice Girls at their
artistic peak, but the studio craft is so right-on that you don’t
care.
Not that all of
Becoming X is sunny. Far from it. “Spin Spin Sugar” still
sounds sinister after hundreds of listens and “Wasted Early Sunday
Morning” pretty much sums up what it sounds like.
Other bands came before Sneaker Pimps. You can chide them for
their apparent lack of originality. However, few bands have been
able to make a trip-hop album as near-perfect as
Becoming X. Light on lyrics, easy on the ears, but can still
burn the dance floor, the Sneaker Pimps created a delicious
footnote with this release. If you’re intimidated with the genre,
this album is a good place to start.