The Pet Goats are an alternative pop-rock outfit from Austria. The trio comprises of Andrew Mangold on guitar and vocals, Dietmar Schrödl on bass and Andi Wurscher on drums.
We recently reviewed their Cartoons EP which we described as “fierce and turbulent”. Now we have been given the opportunity to check out their full studio album “Operetta”.
Here’s what we thought:
The title track is a sizzling bacon-grease flamer of a song. The repeating word ‘Operetta‘ is tucked in close against the fatty smut of obsessive guitar strums… until the drums wump-thump in. Then we get that nodding rhythm and the spoken, pulsating words. This track grows as it glows. It lets in a tiny trickle of amber light – like a lantern on the hill – in the darkness. And it has got a mocking tone- a type of ‘Wreckless Eric’ brashness about it – that makes you think. And grin.
There are a lot of ‘Zombie Lovers’ out there. We live near the river – so we see the fishermen sitting by the muddy banks every weekend. They dangle their weak lines in the mud – no matter what the weather. And always sitting near to them are the fishermen’s wives and girlfriends. Glamorous and sparkling – these girls will sit for hours just waiting. They wait as if their man is suddenly going to say them “Hang this … lets go to the movies instead .” They wait tolerantly and they wait patiently. They wait just to share a few moments of care and attention. But all the waiting in the world won’t help them. It is futile. Because he is a zombie to them: “Dead expression / He can’t talk / Barely walk”. This is a neat song – choppy and significant – moving and meaningful.
In 2008, Karen Matthews made tearful TV appeals for the return of her missing daughter – Shannon … all the while knowing where she was … because she had ‘kidnapped’ her own child – to generate money from the publicity. It seemed that a new generation of media-savvy criminals has been born – professional scammers who plan to use their time in front of the cameras – to shed ‘Teleprompter Tears’ – as a method of maintaining and strengthening their fantasy stories. The thickly darkened gummy strings on this disturbing track hints at this recent phenomena. “Something doesn’t feel quite quite / You have to admit things just don’t add up.” These ‘Teleprompter Tears’ and all the other ‘truths’ we are exposed to night-after-night on our news television – are exposed in this piece.
After the flicking nit-comb that is ‘Come On Get Ready’ we then stumble heartily into the ‘March Of The Neoconservatives.’ The groaning chords and relaxed drums lead us into this surprisingly lively dance. The tune is familiar – like a twisted nursery rhyme. This song is all about those pale faded creeps who plan wars and destruction from behind the apron strings of their mock-socialist tendencies and their feigned liberal leanings. The greatest crime that all of these neo-cons have committed is that they let the tea-baggers right in.
The album concludes with ‘Wrong Hero’ – and is yet another grumble-song about the legions of thought-manipulators, fact-handlers, word-herders, truth-abusers and be-suited prevaricators everywhere. They are all wicked. It’s so hard for us to choose our heroes any more … because they all seem corrupt. Don’t they?
This is a splendid and thought provoking album from a grubby punk band who know how to make you think. They can get a song to sink in. Yet they make the whole experience seem rather enjoyable. Try it and see.
– © Neil_Mach October 2013 –
Link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pet-Goats/120114604730863
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