mp3: Chromatics – “Kill For Love”
I think this album cover is a shoe in for my best record cover from 2012. And it’s safe to say the music inside of package will for sure be include in my best records of 2012 this year (cuz let’s face it, not very many good records came out this year – right?). I’ve always kinda liked The Chromatics, even back when I had to walk through eight feet of snow to buy a pack pf cigarrettes and they were putting out post punk records out through Sonny’s GSL label. I miss GSL. Now-a-days, it’s pretty much a bran new band (featuring Glass Candy’s Johnny Jewel – dude also runs their label “Italians Do It Better”) aside from one original member. They even sound different too, now they dish out some of the best modern dreamy-slow Italo disco around. I chuckled as I typed that line, FYI. You’ve heard Chromatics before if you saw that movie Drive by director Nicolas Winding Refn. And if you haven’t heard their (faster) sister band, Glass Candy, start here:
Glass Candy – “Feeling Without Touching”
Glass Candy – “Geto Boys”
So anyways, back to Chromatics… They’re from Portland, Oregon and I can’t think of anything else that’s come from Portland that I like… weird. Although I was into their last album “Night Drive”, “Kill For Love” steps it up in the liking department for me. It is a progression and an improvement in their sound as well as their song-crafting. And they’re not scared to break rules, case in point – The album starts off with a synth-soaked cover of Neil Young’s “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)”. Believe it or not, just like their past covers ( Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire”, Dark Day’s “Hands in the Dark”, Kate Bush cover “Running Up That Hill”, etc) they actually pull off that move. My favorite jam on the record is the title track ode to ecstasy popping, “Kill For Love”. That song makes me wonder why crap like M83 is so big and not these cats.
Chromatics – “Kill For Love”
The other stand out tracks for me are their “Eye Of The Tiger” sounding “These Streets Will Never Look the Same” and their cleverly-hypnotic “Lady”. This record would prolly seem better if Johnny woulda trimmed the fat and edited her down from 90 minutes… 90 minutes is a long time for me to listen to anything! Hey man, I’m just trying out some constructive criticism. You can’t always be on and you can’t alway be right.
Chromatics – “These Streets Will Never Look the Same”
Chromatics – “Lady”
Axl deems Chromatics – “Kill For Love” = KILLER!
