Published on Aug 10, 1999
Skunk Anansie is the kind of band that will spark one of two
reactions in you. The first is an instant attraction to their music
and the dark realism of their music and lyrics. The other is a
gape-mouthed, wide-eyed, “What the hell’s
that!?!?” stare. Beats that could have come right off of a
techno record with the lyrical intensity of Nine Inch Nails, all
delivered by a cross between Tracy Chapman and Me’Shell
Ndegocello’s vocal style?
Believe it, buckeroo – Skunk Anansie’s third album
Post Orgasmic Chill is that kind of a record. Unfortunately,
they’re not able to keep that level of energy or excellence going
throughout this record, resulting in a disc that smacks of what
could have been.
The band – vocalist Skin, guitarist Ace, bassist Cass and
drummer Mark (boy, is it easy to type these things when no last
names are used) – transcends any simple pigeonholing you might want
to use regarding their music. Take the lead-off single “Charlie Big
Potato”: one minute, you’re listening to beats that could have been
culled from a techno record; the next minute, you’re surrounded by
riffs and beats that border on alternative rock. It’s a twisting,
turning ride that rivals any roller coaster you can board.
And while it’s sometimes difficult to decipher what Skin is
saying (even with a lyric sheet – which has a bit of a bizarre
layout), tracks like “On My Hotel T.V.” send the ride into
overdrive vocally. The verbal assault laid down by Skin is a
scathing attack both on the labels that can be attached on someone,
and the way life on the road can grind someone down.
The difficulty with
Post Orgasmic Chill is that Skunk Anansie is not able to
sustain that level of intensity for long without some degradation
of the sound. While tracks like “The Skank Heads,” “Good Things
Don’t Always Come To You” and “And This Is Nothing That I Thought I
Had” do shine, other tracks like “Tracy’s Flaw,” “You’ll Follow Me
Down” and “Cheap Honesty” just don’t live up to the expectations
that Skunk Anansie build up for themselves.
It also takes a bit of time for the musical twists and turns to
become natural-sounding to the listener. The first time I tried
listening to this disc, it actually overpowered me to the point
that I had to turn it off and walk away from it for a day or two.
With a little investment of time and effort, Skunk Anansie’s style
begins to sound natural.
I don’t know if the domestic version of this disc will contain
it, but the U.K. release (which is what I have to work with)
contains an interactive section that includes not only insights on
the songs from the band themselves and the now perfunctory Web
link, but also the video for “Charlie Big Potato,” which is a
bizarre trip. Be ye warned.
Post Orgasmic Chill is an intense portrait of a band that
demands you accept them on their own terms. If only they were able
to maintain a high level of excellence on all their music, this
album could have been a juggernaut – but to create
any album that powerful is difficult.