Voodoo-Eros
Quinn Walker : Lion Land / Laughter’s an Asshole -2cd- (US,2008)****'
CD1 : Laughter’s An Asshole:
It is not clear if this is a one man band with incredible patience for multi-tracking and cloning ; it sounds like he has a whole bar of a ritually bewildered crowd joining him. I don’t have to mention the leanings towards a New Americana Hippie weirdness, and self-humour with it ; I think just looking at the photo-collage of an attack of big louses on his hippie hairs is already convincing. There’s something celebrative in his crowd following the pompompom rhythms. The effect of the jamming, handclapping, the army of footstamping, the weird-harmony harmony-singing togetherness, shows a mobilized group dedicated to music, making the first fire dance music where making a fire is no longer necessary. This group’s harmony in new rock form is comparable in some degree to groups like Thee Silver Mount Zion and their Tralala band, including the building up of rather psychedelic tensions. And certain points this group sings or at least make sounds on the level of communal birds or beasts, singing iiii and a’a’a’a’a, (on “Baby Neon”, but also on “up here in the air”). Quin himself leads songs, sometimes with deformed voice, and with a few companions or a whole crowd of weird harmony seekers with him. The instruments cannot always be recognized any more in the mishmash of clashing and spanking, but violin, specially sounding keyboards, glockenspiel (perhaps combined with toypiano), and of course acoustic guitar, and some brass are some of the instruments I recognise. A bit weird, attractive and enjoyable music, but not strange.
CD2 : Lion Land:
The different conceptions and ideas on Lion Land proves how Quinn Walker pretty much remains a true Artist with visions, while some tralala factor remains, there’s use of more (playful) instrumental ideas with electronic music and keyboards and there are less multitracks involved for the vocal harmonies. The album starts with some playful games with words, making from a Lions safari a Disneyland picture “I will make love to those who deserves to life, and I will kill who deserves to die”…“save the lions, save your body, save your mind, shave your body, slave your mind...”. The album is quieter and more relaxed and moody, but there are style surprises too (even a small fragment of fast punk).
The label explains that “‘Lion Land’ is basically an e-card sent to grandma back in Africa from a tribe of lions on their first visit to Disneyworld/Kissimmee St. Cloud, Florida. Damns and whirlpools of itchy frightening frequencies tenderly romance lyrics that orbit the worlds of ecstatic parochial school patriotism and junglebook moral codes. Industrial beats are stocked by hems of cinematic synthesizers suckering you, as a sunset might, into having an emotional moment.”
Another great original and artistic impression of what should do as a pop album. Don’t miss this.
