Every so often, hearing new music produces a giddy, excited feeling, often accompanied by a faster heartbeat and the thought, “Where has this band been all my life?” I remember that feeling years ago when I first heard King Black Acid in concert (and then promptly bought all their CDs) and more recently, when I heard The Strokes’ “Is This It.” What can I say? I like drug-addled music.
My latest discovery is similarly intoxicated, but it’s a lot more pop as well. Firewater’s new CD, “Psychopharmacology,” tripped across my CD player and hasn’t yet left. This is the New York City-based band’s third release; their first was 1996’s “Get Off The Cross (We Need The Wood For The Fire …).” Like that title, this band seems intent upon deadpan irreverence at every opportunity. In today’s all-too-serious “alternative rock” world of emotive, intense Pearl Jam copycats, the lightness and lazy vocals are refreshing.
The joy in Firewater’s poppy, slightly twangy music is reminiscent of Cake or Cracker, but it also recalls the seriously twisted humor of Robin Hitchcock and the swelling sounds of early-1990s bands Jellyfish or Dada. Add to that the whiskey-soaked haze of Morphine, and you have a sense of the feeling Firewater pushes through your speakers.
For those who prefer the clean and sober life, fear not; “Psychopharmacology” is not glorifying drug use — at least not openly. The title track is actually a dark, playful examination of the way people use psychoactive drugs as solutions to their problems. According to the band’s press information, lead singer and songwriter Tod A finds America’s use of prescription drugs “a little scary.” Mr. A also seems a bit scared by ambition and life in general — many of his lyrics (“And maybe I could have a great career / If I could just hold down a job / And baby, I could be a social butterfly / If I wasn’t such a slob”) are delivered with as much seriousness as comedy.
It’s generally hard to tell what is and isn’t a joke with this band. Like the title track, all of Firewater’s songs here are sarcastic and moody. The album plays tongue-in-cheek with suicide, car insurance scams, suburban shooting sprees and (in the wake of Sept. 11, gasp!) plane crashes. Even the heartwarming love song, “She’s The Mistake,” takes a downward twist with the perfect woman: “She’s the mistake I’ve been dying to make / Since I can remember / A golden arrow straight to the marrow / Enfolded in flame.” These tunes are amusing and dark, and the choruses have a tendency to replay themselves in one’s mind throughout the day. Actually, they repeat in my mind to the point where I simply must play the CD again.
There are two small problems with this album: It’s too short, and the songs are the tiniest bit repetitive. So for those readers who would rather try before they buy, songs are available at www.fireh2o.com, and even better, the band is coming to the WOW Hall on Wednesday, April 17.
I heartily recommend that everyone take a hefty dose of Firewater right away. It’s a prescription for fun, a suggestion that life not be taken too seriously, and a summons to putz around the house with a little more ennui. This album is the perfect antidote for a weekend of partying — it lays easily on a hangover and calmly lets one mope through the “Terrible Tuesdays.”
I’m starting to get the feeling that I need to play this CD again right now. I may be becoming dependent on “Psychopharmacology.” It’s almost as though it relieves my pain and depression (although it’s too sarcastic to do anything for my cynicism) and helps me deal with the real world. Uh-oh.
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