Published on Aug 4, 1999
Imagine if David Bowie, Geddy Lee and Marianne Faithful all got
into an elevator that suddenly was sent crashing to the ground. The
end mix would sound something like Ross Phasor and their
full-length debut
Gold Is Dead, Hide Your Rock & Roll.
Scared yet? You should be. This Cambridge, Massachusetts-based
quartet pumps out a glam rock-like substance that isn’t the most
pleasant thing one can listen to. It’s a tough disc to get through,
even if you’re a fan of artists like Bowie.
The group – vocalist John LaCroix, guitarist/keyboardist Charles
Hansen, bassist Jay Matrona and drummer Jonathan Screnci – pump out
music that doesn’t seem to know what time or place it belongs in,
all while LaCroix belts out his vocals in a high-octave that
doesn’t always seem to fit the music. (No offense to LaCroix, but
early on, on tracks like “Space Boots” and “Radio Friendly
Sellout,” I wondered if this band had a female vocalist.)
Musically,
Gold Is Dead, Hide Your Rock & Roll is lightweight and
forgettable. I wonder if having a lyric sheet would have helped
matters, especially on songs like “Party Song” and “Nurse
Priestly”. Sadly, Ross Phasor often sounds like a rock band caught
in a Gary Glitter-type existence – and that’s a shame.
On rare occasions, like on “Jet Car” and “Junk,” Ross Phasor
seems to have a chance to break out of the ho-hum; unfortunately,
they quickly settle back in just one song later.
One thing that would help Ross Phasor out would be to hae
LaCroix not try to sound like Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes all
the time. The material sometimes seems to call for a more
restrained vocal performance. Here’s hoping he can deliver.
The other thing that could help is simple: time on the road and
in the trenches. Ross Phasor is still a very young band, and I’m
willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that future releases
will hold more promise. Until then,
Gold Is Dead, Hide Your Rock & Roll is all we have to
work with, and it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel
with this one.