Church Mouth
OK, so I get this CD in by a band called Portugal. The Man and I’m told it’s a sort of esoteric rock album. What the heck, esoteric cant be all that bad, right? Well, yes and no. This really is, in no way, something I’d have gone out to buy, and to be blunt, I probably wouldn’t have downloaded it either. It’s not that the music is all that horrible, I just don’t “get it.”
Ever listen to a CD, and know that the people have some talent, but you just can’t put your finger on where it is? That’s Church Mouth, for me at least. The trio puts together an odd blend of Rock combined with some pop flavoring. While not as crazy as some of the goof bands out there, I can’t really take this album seriously. At first it sound like some watered down Electronic Rock. There are some noticeable hooks early on in the album, but much of it drones out to nothingness as the CD progresses. The music seems to meld into one ongoing mess. I’m trying to be nice, I just cant find the words to describe the high points of the album.
There is one lone track that I could actually get into, and it was called “Children.” It had a groovy beat and great accents in the music from start to finish, but alas, I feel that it was the only track worthy of being a single. Overall this is ambitious music, which is never a bad thing. These guys clearly have a vision that is unique, and while it doesn’t fit my personal tastes, I can’t fault them for trying. Unfortunately, I can’t give give it a great rating either, just because this is based on my own feelings towards the music. If it helps, there is a certain amount of 70’s Hippie-ness evoked through their music, visions of paisley wallpaper and dandelions float through your head when you’re listening to Church Mouth.
