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Blotto
Singles Collection 2004-2007 |
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Tracklist |
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01 - Tip Of The Tongue State
02 - Wrench In My Head
03 - Defenseless City (Feat. スチャダラパー & ロボ宙) (Feat. SCHADARAPARR & Robochu)
04 - The Struggle For Evolution
05 - 模範囚 (Mohanshuu)
06 - The Gungoose
07 - Delusion Habit
08 - Bad Pulse
09 - Monster Smoke
10 - Dacascos
11 - Jiggery-Pokery
12 - Selma's Rock (Ozomatli Remix)
13 - Snakes And Ladder (Rub N Tug Remix) |
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Review |
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With a name like Sly Mongoose the first thought that came to mind was another action-oriented vermin, Screeching Weasel. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. Catchy punk rock is not this creature's forte. The group derives its name from a well-known Jamaican song. The wily rodent's latest effort, Tip of the Tongue State, is a remarkably fine musical melange that is surprisingly accessible--danceable even--to modern audiences.
Tongue State has a distinct hint of "Where have I heard this before?" Syndrome, but that isn't something to look down upon. It's obvious that Sly Mongoose relies much on established dance music formulas, especially when it comes to funk, disco, house, and samba. The piano in "Bad Pulse" eerily wishes to be an ode to "Pump up the Volume" by M/A/R/R/S. "Wrench in My Head" and "Delusion Habit" bring up several disco songs, especially Saturday Night Fever's soundtrack and Giorgio Moroder's work with Diana Ross. However, the jazzy organ, smooth trumpet lines, and bongos really add a tactile funk feel that gives every song several layers of depth.
Yet it's the uncanny ability to blend genres that really sets Sly Mongoose apart from other jazz-oriented modern instrumental groups. The speedy guitar introduction to "The Struggle for Evolution" misdirects its audience into thinking that they're going to be led into another disco track, yet surprisingly goes into keyboard driven dub. "Dacascos" has a solid reggae foundation, yet the piano and trumpet instill a latin vibe. "Monster Smoke" and "Jiggery-Pokery" are rock based, the latter throwing in some country to the mix. When rapped over by SCHADARAPARR and Robochu in "Defenseless City" even the all-too-often staleness of hip hop production becomes invigorated by the band.
Sly Mongoose is one of the most exciting instrumental groups to come out of Japan. Easily making older music palatable to today's audiences is a difficult task, but Tongue State has a universal groove that transcends age or nationality. |
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