Search - Zen Cowboys :: Electric Mistress

God bless Australia.

S. J. Goodwin | Seattle, WA | 03/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Prepare for odd greatness, and great oddness. Zen Cowboys vocalist Solomon intones "Plug yaself innnn..." in a thick Australian accent, and proceeds to take you on a trippy tour of dance-funk, satire, sex and slightly oversimplified serenity."Right On," begins the trip with a swampy bassline designed to test your stereo speakers, while "Zen Kinda Thing" relates a zennish mindset to a frontier, "the path with the direction void of lies...it's so uncivilized," ...all the while treating the listener to a twisting, Eastern-influenced groove that invites dancing with closed eyes, & asks you to "put my finger in the socket of my mind and...turn it on."Most likely to prompt "What song is that?" from party guests is the unabashed dance track "Tasty," with (almost) innocently ardent lyrics and an irresistable, undulating hook.Embracing weirdness, the Zen Cowboys also take the time to skewer redemption-for-cash in "976-GODD" and make you laugh guiltily at their murderously melodramatic take on "Delilah," a tale that creates an instant desire for a pint with friends who know the words (& don't mind being tossed out of a pub).The fun of this album can also be partially blamed on the soaring power of omnipresent guest vocalist Therese Willis, described aptly in the liner notes as "the woman with the voice that makes life actually seem quite beautiful." The swimmy departure of "Rise" particularly showcases the fluidity and clarity of Willis's talent.The only disappointment on this album is the lyrically empty song "Smile," whose music can't make up for the deficit, & whose lyrics actually include a disclaimer as such. Mere quibbling, however, about an otherwise wonderful album."