Witch Hats - Cellulite Soul (Album)
» Witch Hats - Wicked Wrap (Wear their music on your head or use it to direct the traffic through...) - November 16, 2006
This album is loud.
And it takes a few go’s.
Much of its intelligence is tightly hidden – some probably lost - behind the volume and mess. The first listen is a little stupefying, and it takes a while to get past the confusion of it all. At times, Cellulite Soul is manic and deranged, and other times, it feels dejected and gloomy. This sort of moodiness, which is supported by a nerve-plucking beat, takes energy to actively listen to. This noise/prog/alt/psych rock/indie/grunge business is loud, and distorted, and piercing. The start of nearly every song gives a false sense of security that this one will feel wholly right, but it progresses to the same warped, sour, difficult ball of tangled mess as the track before. Don't get me wrong - noise, distortion, feedback, howls, screams, cracks and creeps are what legends are made of, but this particular brand of confusion remains too raw for an album format (played live, on the other hand, it would probably be fairly impressive).
Despite the criticism, Cellulite Soul has, aside from a brilliant title, the muddy chaos and experimental guts that has been lacking in much of Australia's current mix. Before I Weigh is the album’s first track and single, and displays the potential of Witch Hats. A dark and creepy, bleak London, Jack the Ripper -esque style track starts off with a brilliant howl and an engaging beat. And just when you think that the instrumental introduction is about to get old, there is another chilling howl and the vocals kick in. Unfortunately, the repetitive beat and guitar blend take the foreground and the delicate, eerie mumbling is produced into the background. This soon, too, starts to loose its shine, but is again rescued from boredom by a more upbeat guitar, drum and vocals combo. While this latter rescue makes the build up worthwhile, it all eventually returns to the mix that came before, and the same ride ensues. All the momentum, enthusiasm and attention - a brilliant start - is quickly lost with the repetition.
Unfortunately, other songs on the album fail to deliver in a similar fashion - a killer start, definite potential, but then it all somehow gets lost in the mix. It is clear, however, that most tracks have a brain ticking behind them, like Helhole and Potato Feet, and nearly every track starts with a certain spark. Moreover, there is an indifferent sort of sexiness to the album, which is largely the work of Kris Buschombe’s vocals (which are at times flavoured with Robert Smith -type quirks). Unfortunately, a lot of the maturity that comes with the sexiness is quickly lost when the guitar plays a few too many popish chords and then attempts to return to a deeper, darker mood. This instantly reduced the potency of the vocals to infant dreamings rather than heartfelt reflections, and it all becomes unbelievable.
Overall, there are definite perks, but also clear downfalls. Cellulite Soul is definitely a promising start for the Witch Hats, which hopefully does not end as messy as the album.
