Customer Reviews

Chokin on the Jokes

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

 

 

jimi shields of lotus crown honed his faculty with offbeat pop songs on the classic rollerskate skinny record 'shoulder voices'...and of course you recognize his last name; i believe he is kevin's brother (of MBV, duh)

his lotus crown project followed his split from rollerskate skinny, and found him based in chicago writing songs similar in spirit to those on 'shoulder voices': wryly constructed, by turns clamorous and graceful, fearless and endlessly inventive...

(tracks 2 through 5 on 'shoulder voices' offer the listener more ideas and odd hooks than most bands muster in an entire career!)

"chokin' on the jokes" seduces with its organic swirl of guitars and loose rhythms, with dots and dashes of strange noises and eccentric instrumentation...from the opening "well of a mother's symphony", with its spiritualized-esque repeated guitar intro and languid progression, the record carves out its own sweet, impossibly warm and unselfconscious vibe without becoming precious or retro or twee...

the songs sometimes lurch and stagger under their own awkwardness, but the result is not that they sound pompous or overproduced, but rather that they are all labors of love, and that shields wanted to make something unique and honest, instead of something that would manipulate...

the gorgeous ballad "shuttle weary" showcases shields warm voice, which seems a little awkward itself, like the music...his lyrics are odd throughout, but offer a lot of depth once you sift through the weirdness...the sad "shuttle" ends with an oddly anthemic, melancholy maxim: "bang bang to boys in ball parks"

the line from the infectious shuffle "blue arse fly" says a lot of shields' intentions: "i'm pitching for another underdog victory, anyone can play"...

the heartrending "no title" is a short, mournful song about the loneliness and frustration of the artistic process, and like the rest of the album, it differs from the other songs just enough to have its own voice, but not so much so as to seem incongrous...

the album closes with an out-of-nowhere breakbeat instrumental that charges on for five or so minutes...it's a record bursting with ideas, much like 'shoulder voices'...

fans of rollerskate skinny and kid silver, or those that tire of the overreaching triple albums of flaming lips and the backward-looking psych of the elephant sixers should snap this up...it's all too rare for an album to feel as warm and honest, as creative and human, as "chokin' on the jokes"...

sadly, the record was completely ignored by most, and lotus crown has dropped from the radar for now...i hope they haven't given up...i would love to hear more...

for now, go grab this and you won't be disappointed...

I agree with the earlier reviews posted here. This undeservedly neglected follow-up to the also overlooked band Rollerskate Skinny's two fascinating albums makes for great headphone listening. Co-produced by Dave Fridmann, it does share the traits of the bands he works with such as Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev (and recently Low and Elf Power). But, it's not as precious as the Lips nor as sluggish as MR have become in their later years. The studio craft, however, makes for a subtler album.

It grows on you gradually. Less Beatles-Brian Wilson influenced, for once given the dependence of many mid-to-late indie bands on that template. I only give it four rather than five stars because the order of the songs tends to lull rather than stimulate. Still, LC burrows deep, and eschews flash to favor a consistent, slowly changing, set of moods. Riddle Me Sober, Ble Arse Fly, and Beginnings stand out most at first since they're a bit more riffish or aggressive or haunting. But tracks merge more than leap out; the lyrics are (as with RS) poetic and thoughtful, and the music ebbs and flows accordingly with the unassuming vocals, more pensive than rowdy. It's a marvelous neo-psych album, and deserved a much higher profile then and if you are reading this now and wondering--if you like the other bands mentioned, you'll like LC.

Another alumnus of RS, as Kid Silver, around this time released his solo, Dead City Sunbeams, a more trendy and therefore now-dated effort, but one that also contains some songs in a similar spirit to RS & LC. A member of RS, Steve M, recently issued a project with a female vocalist as "The Radio" on Dublin's Reekus Records. This sounds more electronic pop than the earlier denser sound of the mid-90s recordings by him and his mates.

Why on earth did this well crafted, original, captivating, and simply incredible album sink without a trace (making reprise unceremoniously drop the band)? Yes, that is one of those mysteries alongside what happens to us when we die.

This album deserved a lot better. When I first ran across it I bought up all the copies I could lay my hands on just in case I would lose, scratch or break one of the CDs. You think I'm kidding? No. Scouts honor. I own several copies, and still play it often.

Granted, Jimi Shields does not exactly tow the commercial line here, for this is more of an audible painting than a record. And a beautiful painting at that.

"Glad to see when the hunter is hunted
"And the bull mashes the matador's head in
"I'm reaching for another underdog victory
"I'm all for altering the state of the illusion." - Lotus Crown

It's a great record,not perfect but straight from the heart.

inventive new licks from a great new chicago band, emotionally charging guitars and drum beats... great stuff!