Neon Neon: Stainless Style (Lex CD/LP)
Neon Neon is a meeting of the minds, bringing together one of the best American downtempo producers, Boom Bip, and the multi-talented Welsh songwriter Gruff Rhys, best known as the frontman for the eclectic pop act Super Furry Animals. It's an odd pairing, to be sure, and just as it's an unexpected collaboration, the results are equally unexpected.
The fact that Boom Bip followed his first two downtempo LPs on Lex with an EP of primarily dancefloor material should be an indication of the range found herein, and that's not even accounting for the often schizophrenic ideas that come from Rhys. What's most immediately striking about Stainless Style is its affinity to slick, shimmery 80s pop, even from the onset of the opening instrumental ("Neon Theme"). With "Dream Cars," the pop leanings come through bright and clear, with a vaguely 60s-esque vocal from Rhys over a Motown-tinged rock song that indicates just how broad the pair's aspirations are in this project. But nothing really prepared me for the full-on Cars rock of "I Told Her on Alderaan" or the unabashed hi-nrg of "Raquel" (an ode to Raquel Welch). The former features the closest thing to an Eddie Money verse-chorus-verse pop anthem I've heard since 1985 while the latter begins with an italo-disco percussion breakdown before showcasing Rhys's knack for vocal harmonies; both pack a significant pop punch that work as the natural focal point of this album. "Trick For Treat" incorporates guest vocals from Har Mar Superstar and Spank Rock, revealing more of Boom Bip's hip hop-influenced repertoire; it's a sound that comes up a few more times across the course of the remainder of the album, such as on the jerky "Sweat Shop" or "Luxury Pool," which includes vocals from Fat Lip. This hip hop influence is somewhat curious when saddled up next to the likes of the glossy Duran Duran pop-rock of "Steel Your Girl" or the shamelessly electroclash "Michael Douglas." (In all its silliness, that track includes one of the best lyrics of the album: "I see my reflection in Michael Douglas's mirror sunglasses.")
It's a bit of a wild ride, jumping from full 80s dance-pop nostalgia to rock anthems and hip hop party tracks, relishing the most carefree sounds of that time period alongside more contemporary leanings. As an album it flows a bit weirdly, but despite the wild moodswings to be found in the track sequence, it all works in a curious way. The balance of slick pop, teary-eyed nostalgia and fearless genre-hopping all adds up to one of the most fun albums I've heard in a long time.
mp3s: I Told Her on Alderaan | Belfast
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