Long on the nose, short on the palate
Forensics Brothers and Sisters! (Revelation Records)
Christiansen
Local band Christiansen's debut EP with Revelation Records is as engaging as it is frustrating. There are things here that catch the ear, but I wanted to like it so much more than I did.
The opening riffs of the first song foreshadow what's to come: a conglomeration of styles, equally rocked up and funkified, laid out with creativity and delivered with indie attitude. The lyrics are too obscure to command attention, but the overall sound is engaging.
But in the end, nothing sticks. Although the EP initially grabs you, it loosens its grip too easily, and by the fourth or fifth listen, it's gone. Part of the problem is that Christiansen tries too hard to be hip, with song titles like "Jhazz Never Spelled So Good" and "The Era of Murder by Simulation." Such quirkiness is not endearing in this case; as one Internet listener said, "If it were wine it would be a bit fruity for my taste." Cheers to that.