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Jackie-O Motherfucker (USA) Fig. 5 (Road Cone-2000) Jackie-O Motherfucker's first CD release "Fig. 5" is possibly the most surprising musical highlight of 2000. It's an unsettlingdocument that has its roots in the past, shuttling you all the way fromAppalachian folk territories to a dark back alley jazz club of the1950s. But our eclectic guides don't stop there, they continue to theoutskirts of contemporary free form rock and then drop you back home,equally confused and delighted at the same time. Despite the widemusical range covered in my intro, it still doesn't really prepare youfor the dramatic flood tide of electronics in the opening "AnalogueSkillet". Its alienating, enveloping sound, seemingly devoid from anynotion of sense, stands out as something very unique, even on anabstract record like this. But at the same time, the following numbersare all completely different in terms of musical direction; they allfeel like segments of one entirety that couldn't exist without the otherparts. "Native Einstein" employs folkish strings and sax experimentalismat its best while "Your Cells are in Motion" shapes a surprisinglystructured web of Mogwai-ish guitars. Then they do a glorious version ofthe old prison camp song "Go Down, Old Hannah" that is so full ofdespair and regret that you actually can see the prisoners working thoselong hours on the fields. The dreamy rolling soundscapes of "BeautifulSeptember" is garnished with soft and fragile female vocals so seductivethat you're destined to fall in love. The centerpiece, the 25 minutetribal "Michigan Avenue Social Club", with its mantra-like percussionmight fuck up your head if you're too much of a sensitive soul, so treadwith caution. "Fig. 5" is innovative, surprising and hypnotic but mostof all truly incredible.
Author: Mats Gustafsson |
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