Cassettes Won’t Listen – Small-Time Machine: Shabooty Album Review

Small-Time Machine available March 11th, 2008

shabooty: This is a bit of a meta-review as we tag-teamed this one. (shabooty=bold, izzie=italics)
You know the sense of accomplishment you feel when you pick a giant booger? Well, listening to this album provides the same feeling, minus the embarrassment.

Izzie: Ok, so I told you upon first listen, I skipped through to hear the intros and got stuck on a few. But overall I thought I was back in the 80′s for a second. After thorough examination, I must say, this dude is actually way ahead of his time…way ahead. These are sound of tomorrows indie/alternative. Its like 7 tracks caught between futuristic and retro.

I personally appreciated the placement of the songs; the order of tracks made complete sense & was fluid.

Track 1: *metronomes

Starts off with a classroom or cafeteria background noise, almost reminded me of the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill… then basically gets down to it, some of the lyrics on this album remind me of the song, Guster’s – One Man Wrecking Machine.
At some point during my initial listen, I had the urge to go on a joy ride. Not my favorite track, but gets things off to a pop.

Metronomes was a good intro; the alternation between the staccato piano and the electronic complemented each other well, like a woven blanket of two opposite,yet brightly colored, strands of yarn.
Quite the Metro-politan soundtrack on a busy friday afternoon, I must say.

Track 2: *large radio

Now, here is one of my top 3 songs from the album –this will probably demand you up the vol to max, or on my iphone, “up” “up” ……ya know, on the side button.
Don’t bother trying to listen to this song with one ear bud in at work, it aint going down like that.
Let me use some more cliches to describe this track…’rock out with your cock out’.

Damn. I might as well have been trippin. Thought I was experiencing echolalia for a second there; thought maybe I was having audio hallucinations. Nah but fer real, I’m glad there was some progression heard within the song as to not drag on. The second, and faster tempo that it slid into part-way through the track gave you something to bob your head to.

Track 3 *paper float

This is a cool song, I can only imagine what the music video to this song could be… it could sort of be a sorta-gay frolic song, like the video to Smashing Pumpkins 1979, but I am thinking this for a video concept: they close down Paramounts King’s Dominion (amusement park) for the video shoot, go to the Nickelodeon Gak! Stage, and have a huge slime fight (TM). This is ear-candy, or maybe have one part of the video with a water log ride, lol (that’ll make sense once you hear the song).

The intro [for this track], I got tricked into thinking I was gonna be serenaded by a robot.
His lyrics in the beginning bored me, and the stance of the verses throughout this song were fairly annoying for my taste. I think what saved this song from going into the ‘dislike’ pile was, again, the use of piano and guitars in the bridge and chorus. Gave it a mellow jam band feel. Other wise I was about to smack him for being so sappy. The harmonization on the chorus gave it a lil’ kick that this track needed too.

Track 4 *freeze and explode

I don’t know if this will be the ‘single’, but this was the track I found myself constantly listening to on repeat and sharing with friends. It’s ‘cute’/catchy/and cool. I am scared I might have over listened to it though, but the hook is pretty elite. Sorta emo-quasi-the-fountain-esque + a lil 80′s. All I know is if they did a video to this song, please have some dry ice handy to freeze and explode any potential ‘headlights’ ha ha.

I felt the uplifting stance starting from the first verse was definitely needed after that last track. And I have to admit, for some weird reason, I’m a sucker for songs that use bandaging as a metaphor (i.e. Bandages by HotHotHeat)
The “ahhhh”‘s in the hook were relaxing… And kinda pulled the song together.

Track 5 *the broadcast

The broadcast is an interesting song. 6 mins long –my favorite part is the bass-bumping break down at the end. It starts off a little ‘soft’, but by 1:50, it gets hard. This song isn’t my fav, thou. It’s a lil too milk toast with the lyrics. I don’t like my toast having a picture of hellokitty or jesus in it.

Ok, I tended to favor track five since it was the first one I listened to all the way through. It was also the one I was referring to when I mentioned he sounded like a cross between postal service and perhaps minus the bear. Only with his own twist, of course. Now on this one, don’t let the slow intro fool ya… I think the reason I’m partial to this song is cause its the “hardest” track in an otherwise supermellow album. Its the only one with any real progression within the song. (with the exception of track two…but this one is much more Climatic)
The breaks were pretty rad.
If you start to get side tracked while listening, since its a fairly long song, you may forget what your listening to, and wonder why you’re listening to happy trance. And just as your about to find your glow sticks, the emo voice kicks in again, and you remember your not at a rave…..
But before the sharp ending, you get slapped in the face with the drums & guitar once more. His use of a round in the chorus was genius btw. What’s up with him and sharp endings tho…. I thought this one could use a softening outro.

Track 6 *two kids

This is in my top 3 tracks on the album, too. It’s just plain catchy. What else is there to say?
The hook+the beat go pretty good together… happy go lucky song. This is a song you would listen to as a kid (or as an adult with a midlife crisis) where you meet up with your childhood buddy, get a lawn chair you stole from your neighbor, set it down at the top of a retainer wall, and sit down, enjoy eating some shark-bites fruit snacks, as the cool fall breeze runs up against your ball-bag, and dries up the accumulated ball-sweat on your inner leg. Two kids, ehhhhhhhhh? (TM) on these stories, btw. Haha.

I was not impressed with the lyrical content in the beginning. Pretty weak for an already soft tracklist. But the 80′s groove kept me listening. And the piano in the chorus got me hooked on this one.

Track 7 *the finish line

The finish line is a good finale to this record. But, I want moreeeeeeeee i.e. it’s a great album. 7 good songs=I want more! …This would be an interesting song if they put this music coupled up with 2 girls and 1 cup video,….no? But yes, another great track, leaves me wanting to hear moreeee. Why tickle my eardrum with a feather, it’s not my ass.

The finish Line was a nice accent at The end. For some reason though, his passive voice didn’t really match the scratchy beat at the start. They didn’t sound like they should be in the same song. But then again, thats what a liked about this guy. He is combining so many elements into each song that they’re mildly abstract.
Overall, even though it was softer than my norm, Its a very well put together album.
Ill tell ya, I listen to mostly hiphop in the car, even when I’m with the kid I take care of. He loves my hiphop. Well anyway, when I picked him up today, I told him “haaaayy. Guess what, I have new music” and so on the way home, he’s rocking to it (like most autistics do when listening to something they like). After it was all over, he put his hand on my shoulder and smiled. I asked if he liked it, and he said “yes” (keep in mind, he’s practically nonverbal) haha. So if a autistic teenager digs it, you should too. Lol
Thanks for the tunes.

Shabooty: 3.5 / 4 (_o_) ‘s
CWL will be at SXSW this year, check out his website here for tour dates and more information.
The album is avail for pre-order now on Amazon.com and available March 11th, 2008.

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Permalink Posted in: music, nyc, reviews, shabooty, shabooty exclusive February 18, 2008