Chillihounds

Welcome To The Show

Written by: TL on 21/07/2010 22:35:04

"hello everybody! blablabla.. we're here to bring you 70's rock because that's what you need tonight, blablabla.. by the way.. WE ARE CHILLIHOOOOOUUUUUNDS!". Okay stop right there dudes. You are... Chillihounds? Are you serious? They must be. because that's how this Swedish power-trio opens up their recent album "Welcome To The Show", and the first thing I'm thinking is that a band named like this can't ever hope to achieve any kind of success. Then I realize that I might be wrong, and that's about as many thoughts as are stimulated in me by this record, until its last song exclaims "Thank you and goodnight, we hope you liked the show. Uhh we love you too, but it's time to go". Liked the what? The show? Dudes. This isn't where I parked my car?!

I wish I could say that I was just taking an immature shot at an unfortunately named band, but truth be told, I don't find much worth talking about sandwiched in between the somewhat silly attempts at charm bookending the content of this album. Chillihounds play no-nonsense, traditional rock'n'roll, with seemingly no interest in coming up with anything new on their own, and seemingly as little interest in giving an interpretation of the style that makes their own band appear at all impressive. Despite being able musicians, the material Chillihounds present is so dumbed down it would've probably seemed dated and wannabe-ish even back when your father was earning his first hangover, and suffice to say, today it's a pretty gross stylistic trainwreck.

Now, a band like Chillihounds would probably like to say in their defense, that a young hotshot like me doesn't appreciate the feeling of rock'n'roll enough to pass fair judgment over their band. My response is that their likely notion of 'true rock'n'roll' is a romantic illusion, and anyone who breathes rock day and night would recognize them as a rehash of a rehash of a rehash (ad infinitum) of an idea. I know people say, that in rock'n'roll, everything that can be done has already been done, but hey, newsflash, they also say that this means quality lies in the charismatic interpretation - And if you're looking for that, I can think of just a few bands that do it so much better that it's not even funny.

Obviously, such hard words would hint at an absolute bottom grade. Chillihounds are getting fairly better than that though, because a grade is always a joint evaluation of craftmanship and artistic ideas, and as for the musical craft, Chillihounds are at least proficient, even with their singer occasionally sounding more like he's shouting than singing. As my words betray however, it's the artistic impression that really matters in my books, so if Chillihounds were hoping for some enthusiasm to be sent in the way of their record, I think it's fair to say they landed in the hands of entirely the wrong reviewer. Ugh. Awful.

4

Download: no recommendations this time around
For The Fans Of: simple man's rock'n'roll timetravelled in from your dad's youth
Listen: myspace.com/chillihounds

Release Date 14.04.2010
Self-Released

Related Items | How we score?
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

Legal

© Copyright MMXXIV Rockfreaks.net.