Noisettes – What's the Time Mr. Fox? Review
by Erika Szabo
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Vocalist and bassist Shingai Shoniwa, guitarist Dan Smith and drummer Jamie Morrison are the London brats of garage rock band Noisettes. Having toured in Europe and the United States extensively, they have played with the likes of TV on the Radio, Babyshambles, Mystery Jets, Tom Vek and Bloc Party. They recently toured in the UK to promote the release of their debut album What's the Time Mr. Fox? in February 2007. Heavily implemented throughout this album are garage/soul hybrids that situate themselves within bangs and screeches of riff-heavy guitars and pounding drums. Shingai Shoniwa also provides listeners with blistering vocals ranging from soulful snarls to sinister shrieks. Style and charm bring this oddly named album together to form its ebullient and snappy sound. Moody, soulful opener "Don't Give Up" screams and squirms its way into listener's ears. This song alone is proof enough that Noisettes are something unlike most garage rock bands. The plucky "Scratch Your Name" blossoms into a catchy, rhythmic track well aware of its single status. "The Count of Monte Christo" snares listeners into this mind-bending album with its kinked guitar rhythms and ardent yelps. "Sister Rosetta (Capture The Spirit)" stings and swells into another promising track despite its diminishing strength. Unfortunately, most every song afterwards is fatigued and undone. The sluggish "Bridge to Canada", tedious "Nothing to Dread", spazzed out "Cannot Even (Break Free)" and disgruntled "Hierarchy" provide a different kind of experience. "IWE" and "Mind the Gap" attempt to hold the remainder of "What's the Time Mr. Fox?" together but fail in spite of their invigorating blues beats and Shoniwa's croaking, creeping voice. What's the Time Mr. Fox? is no typical garage rock album. By mixing vehement vocals and barking riffs, Noisettes manifest into something all their own. The end result is unmistakably clever and makes good use of punk, soul and blues. The monotonous second half of What's the Time Mr. Fox? proves that without proper use of pacing, any album can easily fall apart. Challenging as it may be, this album does deserve kudos for its style. The way Noisettes create their sound is entirely remarkable, making this album worth a listen.
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Noisettes – What's the Time Mr. Fox?
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