Entertaining garage punk from Florida. If “Nixon” is a satire, it’s a good commentary on gross ignorance; if not, these guys must have gotten A’s in the right-wing “Americanism” course that all Florida high school students have to take in order to graduate. “Dead Air” is faster and considerably better.
The IDOLS are from Florida and have had a couple of singles out before, most notably “We All Dig Nixon.” With this new LP, they blend a disjointed MINUTEMEN-like thrash with a nasty swamp punk sound. They also have a nice way of using a saxophone over the din to create a full-bodied sound.
This album witnesses the fruition of the VOODOO IDOLS’ songwriting skills, and their admixture of rootsy rock and punk (with a hearty infusion of sax for good measure) makes a better impression with each listening. The vocals seem way too manic for the music, but VOODOO IDOLS get a definite thumbs-up for improvement and distinctiveness.
