Black Kids - Partie Traumatic (Album)
» Black Kids - Corner Hotel, The, Vic - Sat, January 24
Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, Black Kids have got critics writhing with pleasure as they are likened to the ‘next big thing’ and ‘band to watch’ for their debut album Partie Traumatic. In an effort to be different i was ready to slam the album as a forgettable effort of teenage enthusiasm with its sounds-great-to-sound-bad attitude.
I was a fan in the beginning. I had heard I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You a couple of months ago and it had me hooked. Clearly a great first single, it screams dance pop the second that guitar riff blasts out of the speakers. It wasn’t long before i was all in.
Jeez these kids know how to blow out a great tune. Hit the Heartbreaks could easily trump their first single. It infects you with ‘partie’ fever and hits on you with fembots. The title track Partie Traumatic is a wannabe Vince Noir new wave/electronic single with its “we.get.automatic” robotic lyrics. I've Underestimated My Charm (Again) is a favourite just for the line "you're too much sugar for my sweet tooth". The weakest song would have to be Listen To Your Body Tonight as it just plays on the old idea that if you mention bodies in a song, it makes it sexy. It doesn’t. It’s cheesy, in an early 80’s disco kind of way.
Partie Traumatic is what i would like to consider a great Friday/Saturday night album. It's energy is infectious and best of all, completely sing-along friendly unlike many other dance tracks. It’s a freakin fun album that is monstrous as a first effort for such a young band. It’s inspiring knowing that kids are really doing it right these days, they know how to make a odd voice sound appealing and make robotic voices versatile.
It took me at least 3 listens of the entire album to really get into Partie Traumatic though. At first it seems ordinary and seeing as so many new bands are coming out these days it’s hard to recognise longevity in a band without getting caught up in the hype. Black Kids are definitely a talented bunch, and this debut is an ambitious effort but unless they can prove themselves with at least an equally entertaining second album; it looks like their lifespan may be shorter than they expect.
However, I’d try to stay positive, enjoy it while it lasts. Get on your dancing shoes you sexy little swine’s.
