Customer Reviews

Abnormals Anonymous

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Abnormals Anonymous is simply a breathtaking work of art. The music of Kid Congo (former Gun Club, Cramps, and Bad Seeds), along with Sally Norvell and other band members, is an unearthly dive into a surrealistic, slow motion world of velvet dreams and addictions.

I have seen them live two times and still find something new and enticing with their sound and general stage presence.

This album ignores the trends of today's boring music scene and takes you into a Twin Peaks kinda world were you see beautiful yet disturbing images.

I strongly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys bands such as Nick Cave, and the likes of.

Also Kid Congo is a pretty cool guy who has paid his dues in the musical underground. So rest assured that you will be investing in intelligently written and performed music.

Allen Gator

Kid Congo Powers is a genius on the guitar, a lovely guy, and a stylish cat! Unfortunately, his presence on this CD is not as perceptible as it should be. However, it is still a great listen. Can't wait until he releases that album he recorded in Mexico with Khan. And Kid, if you're reading this, COME BACK TO DUBLIN SOON.

Kid Congo Powers and Sally Norvell got together and made a great drinking record. Stories like Tom Waits, swampy R&B sensibilities of Jeffrey Lee Pearce, and boy-girl harmonies straight out of the X canon yield a strong set of songs that bear repeat listening well. Perfect for a late-night staring out a window and regretting the past.

To Mr. Powers: congratulations! Abnormals Anonymous is an excellent release that displays the Kid's enormous song-writing talent and manages to evoke numerous moods (though none of them seem genuinely happy). The sound itself is a bit of a post-punkish alternative with elements of blues, cabaret jazz, and folk as well as rock, all which come together to paint a noirish portrait of the gloomier, and disturbingly humorous, aspects of life. The only genuinely weak song is "Body and Soul"; it sounds almost entirely like a standard pop rock song. The rest of the tracks display a sound that is rooted in bands that Kid Congo Powers had been involved with (the Gun Club, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds). However, even with comparisons to bands like the Bad Seeds, Powers and Sally Norvell create beautiful sonic landscapes that take the listener to a land of gloomy skies and murky lounges with just enough tongue-in-cheek touches to inform listeners that the joke is on them. Stand out tracks include the excellent bluesy cover of Jeffrey Lee Pierce's "She's Like Heroin to Me," the powerful "Brother Jack," the frantic "Johnny in the Boudoir," and the chilling "Last Breath," which features some excellent baritone crooning from Powers as well as the passionate vocal work of Norvell. A quality release, if nothing else. You have surpassed your predecessors, Kid; congrats.

Firstly, Kid Congo Powers was seen fit to play with THE MAN (Nick Cave), so you know he's going to churn out some good instrumentation. Secondly, if there's a woman who can make you want her and make you afraid of her at the same time, while managing to carry a tune, it has to be Sally Norvell. Enough said.

A superb album combining Kid Congo's dark guitar stylings (a la Gun Club and Nick Cave) with Sally Jesse Norvell's noirish cabaret singing. This is a beautiful, dark, melancholy album that is a perfect late night listen. It's become stronger and more compelling over time.

Among my all time favorite slabs.

There's nothing horrible about this album, but it's not particularly remarkable, either. The songwriting isn't very sharp, and the lyrics come off as cheesy high school imitations of sleazy songs written by the likes of Nick Cave, Firewater, The Cramps, etc. Seems it's best to leave such debauched tales to the true masters...