Review Summary: An underrated classic that flies as high as the bird it is named after.
It's no secret that the band has made themselves post-punk superstars over the years, as their aggressive, diverse, and overall lovable style really stook out from the crowd. While each of their albums at this point all range from pretty good to absolutely wonderful, there is only one album that really made it clear that the band were a force to be reckoned with, and that is this one. Somewhat of a transitional album, too, as it would be the first one where they would go full force into a mix of new wave and an almost avant-garde sound that the band would be famous for. Sure, they were already pretty well versed with the genre of new wave, but this is where the band kind of goes nuts with not only that, but the writing as well, as it is frantic, diverse, crazy, weird, and very rewarding from start to finish, and it results in one hell of a great time.
Mix that with the consistently memorable songs from start to finish that ranges from great to masterful, the good structure that helps the album flow pretty well, the focus that’s sharp, and excellent and diverse composition and production, what you’ve got here is one hell of an underrated classic. Though, with that said, thanks to, as previously stated, the band going nuts with the direction here, the album is also dense, so it may take a few listens to fully grasp what greatness this album brings, but after that happens, the album has a staying power that’ll make it impossible for you not to have it in your collection, making this one of the more rewarding records I’ve heard in a long time. It really is a record that gets better with each listen, as at first, it may seem a bit overkill. But, thanks to how well it was all executed, and how effortlessly the band makes it fun and memorable, I'd argue that it's just right.
This album does so much right, that it's difficult to really pinpoint any big flaws with it. I guess the only one is that the tonality is a bit all over the place, which makes sense, considering how much craziness and memorability the band crammed into this album. However, in doing so, they sort of made it a bit uneven as a complete package, as it, despite coming together pretty well, feels like it could’ve come together a bit better. Plus, I can see how some looking for a more contemporary record would be disappointed with this record, because this one, despite still being very disciplined, is not even close to one--though, considering how unique and great it manages to be, I'd argue that's actually a great thing that helps the album immensely. Heck, if you ask me, it's their loss, because they don't know what they're missing out on had they have opened their minds a bit more to the fun wackiness the album brings.
None of this is to say the album isn't musically focused, as every song here is some of the best and jam-packed the band has written yet. Whether it be the heart pumping and fun instrumental intro of "Longships", the fast paced and wonderfully composed title track, the punchy and almost sinister "Dead Loss Angeles", the frantic and almost enchanting "Ice", the frantic and wonderfully weird "Baroque Bordello", the crazy, almost chip-tune politically driven "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)", the other politically driven song "Shah Shah a Go Go" that incorporates a menacing and fun new wave sound, the melancholy, hooky, and wonderfully weird "Don't Bring Harry", the very infectious and punk rock "Duchess"--which may be the closest to a contemporary song on the record and it's one of the bands best, the silly and scary, yet very memorable "Meninblack" that incorporates wacky chipmunk vocal effects, and the bouncy and strange "Genetix" that does a great job in closing the album, you're destined for a great time.
Yes, I actually did go over the entire track list in that last sentence. If there's one word to describe this record, it's "fun". It's weird and really out there, but it manages to not skimp out on anything that truly matters. If I could rate this album outside of this sites limits, I'd give it a 4.7/5 instead of a 4.5, but it is what it is, I guess. If you haven’t yet, check this one out, because regardless of if you’re from Dead Loss Angeles or are the Wizard of Aus, this is one raven in which the quality is so abundant, that it’s standing still like ice as a stone-cold classic.
