!!! — Certified Heavy Kats Review
The instrumentation here is strong, really bringing the climactic track to life as an engaging bop that, just sat here writing at a desk, I can bob my head along to.
The frustratingly named !!!, pronounced as ‘chk chk chk’ (though apparently any other identical three syllables will suffice), have just dropped a new album. Formed in 1995 and producing their full-length debut in 2000, !!! are now nine albums deep into their discography. This only makes me wonder how their latest release falls so flat in places, even with its seriously enjoyable moments.
Certified Heavy Kats gets off to a promising start with ‘Do The Dial Tone’. With a slow-going pulse in the distance that underpins erratic synths. Nic Offer’s vocals, with the blunt truisms of the lyrics, compliment this well and the beat that runs throughout, escalating here and there, pushes you into a get up and boogie headspace reminiscent of a lot of great dance pop or garage. With that said, though the track’s appealing; it’s not the most compelling, repetitive in the ways expectable of the genre. This isn’t intended as scathing criticism — !!! occupy this niche very well; it’s just not my niche. I’m torn as to whether or not I prefer the following track, ‘Maybe You Can’t Make It’, which is more immediately catchy to my ears. While I’m not in love with the lyricism this is a much stronger head-bobber than the previous track due to the faster pace and more upbeat tone. For the most part this track leaves me impressed and curious for more sounds akin to it; however, I can’t help but feel that at times, especially towards the end, some of the component parts step on one another’s toes in an unproductive and cluttered way that detracts from my enjoyment of the track overall. That said, it’s preferable to its predecessor in my mind, though neither track are especially weak in any respect.
I think pitching down your vocals is a risky move in any track on any album by any artist. Always reminiscent of poorly-aged 2000s club music, this risky manoeuvre makes an appearance in the surprisingly danceable ‘Tighten the Grip’. While I universally resent the nature of the sound, the pitched and slowed effect on the vocals doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of this track. The breaks between these and the titular hook are also welcome, creating a fun crescendo that gives the more bombastic portions room to breathe. What disappoints is the last third or so of the track, which does not devolve in a cacophony so much as it creates an interplay of sonic components that doesn’t fully avoid overstaying its welcome. Overall, ‘Tighten the Grip’ is a song that on paper I should despise but realistically I think I’d seriously enjoy in the right setting. Unfortunately, given the absence of music events for the foreseeable future, I’m left feeling lukewarm to the track.
‘Let It Fall’ walks a different line entirely, with Offer’s falsetto over the top of some really underwhelming instrumentation. While there’s a lot going on in this track that could retain my interest, the lack of cohesion makes it feel as though the band had a great day using the instrument effects on a keyboard. The lyrics, repetitive and uninspired, really don’t help the song. What we’re left with is probably the weakest track on the album that brings nothing interesting or novel to the equation and leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Just because something has engaging components, does not make it engaging holistically. That being said, it’s this kind of over-experimentation that any group twenty-five years into their careers needs to deploy more often to avoid stagnation. So while I don’t like the track, I welcome it. Where ‘Wonderful Life’ follows, it brings a much more accessible track to the fray. It’s upbeat and uplifting, with the bass and percussion bringing a persistent groovy backing to the simplistically effective vocals. Sometimes this is all a song needs and to my ears the result is much more engaging than the previous track, even if it’s nothing exceptional. The saxophone here is also welcome and, while they’re questionable, the synthesiser moments that bookend the central sax solo grant this five minute track some needed breathing room. It’s strange that these two songs are right next to one another given how one crams about six minutes of song into three minutes and one manages to make a five minute track out of content you’d expect from something much shorter. If anything, I feel this just represents the depth of the band’s versatility, even if one is much more effective than the other.
‘Take It Easy’ is plain, with underwhelming lyricism and a mostly simplistic instrumental. If ‘Let It Fall’ was !!! at their weakest then this is them at their most unremarkable. The choral moments are a strong addition, breaking up the album’s thus far fairly homogenous vocals, and as are some elements of the instrumental; it must be said though that the core loop that runs throughout the track’s four minutes of run time isn’t particularly impressive on its own. The biggest crime here is being so passable, leaving it unmemorable and undeserving of repeat listens unless you need something really easy to listen to — in which case I’m sure most people have preferable alternatives.
‘Walk It Off’, the seven and a half minutes long banger that closes the album, is another song I wish I could listen to in some sort of club setting. Sadly, by this stage in the project, Offer’s vocals have become tired and indistinct. The female voice, provided by longtime co-vocalist Meah Pace, bring some of the track’s highlights as they did on the preceding ‘Take It Easy’. The instrumentation here is strong, really bringing the climactic track to life as an engaging bop that, just sat here writing at a desk, I can bob my head along to. Moments of bass punctuate the track like a pulse, as do twanging guitars and the rarer droning synth. The lyrics aren’t especially unique or poignant but their simplicity and intermittence only enhance the dance-worthiness track. The conversational sampling around the six minutes mark is pointless but, this far in, has little time to ruin the music around it. Ultimately, the track moves on to a constant thrum of percussion that crescendos into a finale reminiscent of the best end of the night moments many of us have had.
I first discovered !!! through 2013’s Thr!!!er, with some of the tracks thereon (like ’Even When The Water’s Cold’) sitting in my Spotify backlog since I was fifteen. While I’m hardly their most avid fanboy, this album still left me in a strange position of disappointment. They’re clearly experienced, versatile, and have a deep bench of contributors in their work. So I can’t help but wonder how some of the tracks on this already short album feel like such filler. I started out unimpressed but, after repeat listens, gained a stronger appreciation. However, I don’t think most people will be particularly interested in so many repeat listens, leaving this album in an awkward position. For those interested, I would recommend the two singles, as well as ’Maybe You Can’t Make It’ and ‘Wonderful Life’, but being in favour of four tracks on an album of seven is a bit disheartening. Fortunately, !!! have been at it long enough already that I can’t help but feel they’ll keep refining their technique. So I remain hopeful that future releases will leave me more impressed.
