THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 13, 1997 TAG: 9702130027
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: ALBUM REVIEWS
LENGTH: 91 lines
It's Australian for Nirvana.
Those who dismissed ``Frogstomp,'' 1995's double-platinum debut from the Down Under upstarts, will gripe about the follow-up.
With his stringy blond hair and tonsil-busting songs of angst and alienation, point man Daniel Johns again comes off as a you-know-who knockoff. The riff-heavy ``Roses'' and ``Freak'' borrow blatantly from the gospel of St. Kurt.
So what? Silverchair is hardly the first band to wear its influences on its sleeve. And the teenage power trio does it so gleefully - and rocks with such conviction - that, rather than accuse them of grave-robbing, you have to admire their chutzpah.
Dwelling on where they're coming from also misses the big pic.
Now a seasoned 18 years old, Johns brings some measure of experience to his writing. Musically, the group shows more ambition, too, featuring acoustic guitar on ``Pop Song for Us Rejects'' and strings on ``Cemetery.'' The best cut ventures furthest afield: ``Petrol & Chlorine'' is fleshed out with a sitar and other Indian instruments.
If ``Freak Show'' gets a bit sloppy, that's part of its appeal. Silverchair is still evolving, and they have taken a sure-footed step forward.
Craig Shapiro, The Pilot L7, ``The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum'' (Slash/Reprise)
Eight years and five albums after their formation, L7 has released its best effort to date with ``The Beauty Process.'' A triple platinum prediction may be a bit pretentious considering the MTV gods have never been too keen on these girls. Maybe they're talking about hair.
At any rate, L7 lace their boots up and come out kicking with the hard-driving, heavy distortion of ``Drama'' and the punk rock groove of ``Off The Wagon.'' The flanged bass and many special effects used on ``Bitter Wine'' make it the most adventurous piece on the recording.
The remaining nine tunes could use a little touching-up as ``The Beauty'' gets a little smeared. The Weezer sound-alike ``Moonshine'' and the boring, one-chord bore ``Lorenza, Giada, Allesandra'' are blemishes. Overall, there is a good foundation to ``The Process,'' but it will never make platinum.
Jeff Maisey, The Pilot Jamiroquai, ``Traveling Without Moving'' (Work Records)
The third release from Jamiroquai is pure retro, echoing the '70s pop/soul of Wonderlove, Kool and the Gang and Earth, Wind & Fire, with a few jazzy touches - Herbie Hancock, the Crusaders - added to the mix.
These Brits take their name from jam and Iroquois, the Native American tribe admired by frontman Jason Kay. The significance of Iroquois is anybody's guess, but the jam makes sense.
Kay, a mannered vocalist and sometimes hokey lyricist, leads the troops through many of the styles now being revived under the guise of acid jazz. To make the sound as authentic as possible, Jamiroquai adds wah-wah guitar, funky clavinet, smooth saxes and strings. There's also a few ballads and a Bob Marley/Sting reggae send-up.
Get past Kay's vocals - he sounds so much like Stevie Wonder circa 1973 (``Innervisions'') that Wonder could sue - and ``Traveling Without Moving'' is a fun exercise in rhythm-rich pop.
Eric Feber, The Pilot JAZZ/BIG BAND Mingus Big Band, ``Live in Time'' (Dreyfus Jazz)
What's the point of creating a band to perform the works of the late Charles Mingus when he's not around to play or direct? Aren't these posthumous proceedings irrelevant?
Try telling that to the patrons who pack Manhattan's Fez club on Thursday nights to hear the 14-piece Mingus Big Band. This double disc captures that scene. With the exception of the shrill ``Number 29,'' the album is a delight, full of dense, earthy arrangements.
Highlights include ``Boogie Stop Shuffle'' (pianist Kenny Drew Jr. exorcising demons), ``Moanin' Mambo'' (Ronnie Cuber's trenchant baritone sax commanding attention), ``Sue's Changes'' (a multilayered tribute to Mingus' widow, who organized the band) and ``Chair in the Sky'' (Steve Slagle's floating soprano sax).
Mingus isn't around? Think again. On this album, his brooding ghost inhabits every measure.
David Simpson, The Pilot ILLUSTRATION: Photo
SLASH RECORDS
L7's best effort to date is the new ``Beauty Process.''
SOUNDBITES
To hear tracks from today's reviews, call Infoline at 640-5555 and
press 2468.