COCKTAIL PARTY AT THE HELL MOUTH
elisa | Los Angeles, CA | 04/10/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Satan is mixing cosmopolitans at his smoky, mirrored bar. The guests are arriving in twos and threes, dressed to the nines and tossing back beverages with practiced abandon. The band is warming up in the corner...starting to play, sounding something like this....This is the most polished & produced Gallon Drunk have ever been, showcasing their "loungier" side. The Drunk have always had some loungey leanings ("Loving Alone," "You Should Be Ashamed"), but now they've gotten rid of the dodgy production techniques they employed on previous releases ("You, the Night & the Music"; "From the Heart of Town") and created a cleaner-sounding, more technologically advanced album. "Black Milk" is actually a film soundtrack (in which members of Gallon Drunk act), so they probably took that into consideration when putting this album out.Several of the tracks here are quite lovely. "Every Second of Time" grows more haunting with repeated listens. "Theme From Black Milk" reminds me vaguely of New Order. Mainman James Johnston has cooled down his former grunt'n'growl vocal style, but still has that urgent, almost tortured rasp that distinguishes him completely from other rock vocalists. There's also some moving instrumentals here, like "Prostitute" and "The Funeral". Unfortunately, just as they start building into something intriguing, the tracks end or fade. I'd love to use the gorgeous "Funeral" on the day of my interment...but I'm afraid it'd be too short.Of course, we couldn't have a Gallon Drunk album (even a soundtrack) without their trademark alcohol-soaked soulful bombast, and tracks like "Hurricane," and the fabulous "Blood is Red" definitely comply. Burning like oil slicks on fire, they're only slightly lesser cousins of tracks like "Two Clear Eyes" and "Some Cast Fire" from the Drunk's previous album, "In the Long, Still Night."This is also the first Gallon Drunk release to sport pictures of the band. Naturally, they're a morose looking bunch, given to wearing flamboyant shirts with long, razor-edged lapels and wide, pearl-buttoned cuffs. For fans who've wanted to see more Gallon Drunk, the pics are worth your money."Black Milk" stands on its own as a soulful, noir-pop excursion for anyone to dig. For fans, it'll probably be an interesting side note in the Gallon Drunk discography. For folks looking to discover what Gallon Drunk are all about, start with "From the Heart of Town" and work your way backwards or forwards from there. Cheers!"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1