Review Summary: No "discovery" to be made here.
Wow. For once, I'm at a loss for words. Usually I start my reviews on Sputnik with a good idea as to what the theme of the review will be. For instance, "
Album X is a disappointment as it shows band X not progressing", "
Album Y is really good because it shows Band Y experimenting with their sound and they succeed because of it". But for once, an album I've felt encouraged to review has left me with a rating but no idea as to what to say about it. Before I started typing this paragraph, I stared at the screen wondering what to make my first sentence. I could tell you right now how I'd sum up
Discovery,
Homework, or even the
TRON: Legacy score, but that's not really what I'm doing, right?
This disappoints me because I'd consider myself somewhat a fan of the two French androids. I really do enjoy their first two albums and the said soundtrack above, despite not listening to them as much as I used to. Their image is among the most iconic in the music world with their robot helmets and suits. Their music is amongst some of the catchiest- certain examples include "Revolution 909" or "Da Funk", or even "Aerodynamic". The music itself is mostly sampled, but it's catchy. So why doesn't
Human After All have the same appeal?
The biggest problem with
Human After All is that you can tell it's very rushed. One look at the back cover is very shocking- the album is only ten tracks long, whereas
Discovery was fourteen tracks, and
Homework was sixteen. Yes, I'm aware that some of the tracks on
Homework were radio ads, that's not the point. And the track number is the least of the album's problems. The songs are a maximum of five minutes long (exception being "Emotion") and for the most part are the same thing over and over and over and over. Some of the songs on the previous exceeded the six minute mark and had numerous breaks and differences, so this really isn't excusable from a duo who are capable of so much more. Also,W the album was apparently recorded in six weeks and it shows. All the songs sound like rough drafts of better songs. None really amount to anything and in the end, the album leaves you feeling cold, like you've been given a bootleg copy despite having bought it at HMV for $14.99.
Off the bat, other problems surface. "Human After All" is immediately ruined with that "Yeah-uh" distorted synth sound that seems dominant throughout the album, and the presence of guitar. It sounds like they're throwing music in our faces, instead of showing us all the crazy things they have proven themselves able to do in the past. The said distorted sound is also a big problem and while at times it creates a nice, dark sound, that's another problem- the album is way too dark and depressing sounding. While the other albums had a nice, fun and dancey sound to it, and I guess maybe the songs here aren't meant to be danceable, but here it's a chore to finish said songs because if it.
Let's see, of all the songs, I'd say maybe "Robot Rock" and "The Brainwasher" are salvageable. Both are catchy and danceable, the former in a more upbeat way and the latter in a dark, trance-y way. It isn't hard to see why "Robot Rock" is a hit; the sample from Breakwater's "Release the Beast" does provide a nice enough hook for the song, and the voice that repeats "ROCK, ROBOT ROCK" is a nice touch. But if you've heard the live version featured on
Alive 2007, there's not much to see in this version. "The Brainwasher" is a dark and somewhat creepy tune, with a menacing riff that loops over and over and a distorted voice that repeats the words, "I AAAAAM THE BRAAAAAINWAAAAAASHAAAAAAA!!!!". Sure, it's an Iron Man rip off, but it's fun and it's listenable, so I guess that counts.
And the rest really doesn't measure. "Prime Time of your Life" isn't even a song, the first half is just one part repeated over and over and the second half is just white noise. Admittedly the part where it transitions inti the second half, the "PRIME TIME OF YOUR LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII... ." is well done and it manages to catch me off guard every time, but otherwise the song doesn't have much to offer. "Television Rules the Nation" starts off sounding great, with the title being repeated twice, and the guitar riff, but when the distorted synth and drums kick in... well, it's just disappointing. "On/Off" isn't even a song but just 19 seconds of changing channel sound effects. "Emotion", "Steam Machine" and "Make Love", again. Same thing over and over, exhausting to listen to with no creativity. And even "Technologic", which is just a poor man's "Harder Better Faster Stronger" but with none of the funk or excitement. The high pitch voice gets annoying fast and the repetitive music doesn't help matters.
So while it may sound as if I have a lot to say about the album... well, what is there to say even? There's no creativity to the album and even the two songs I do like mostly conjure up a "been there, done it, heard it better too" feeling, and that's never a good sign for such a talented band. If I were reviewing this back in 2005, perhaps I'd have said something to the effect of, "My only hope is that this is just a demos album and he real stuff will come next year". But eight years and a tour later, doesn't look like that's the case and I can only hope their next album, should they make one, will be an improvement. But as they all say, "your mouth to God's ears".
