It’s an age-old trend: what’s old is cool. That’s fine, I’m totally down for that; the only hard part comes when you realize that “old” refers to things you grew up with. Take Starter jackets for instance. It’s “so hot” to wear Starter jackets now, but those big satiny body-flags actually did keep me quite warm through many 90s winters. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? It’s now on Netflix so kids can discover that Will Smith made something good before he made Jaden. And Justin Bieber, well he’s officially trying to bring back the McSqueeb. It hurts just a little to see younger generations playing dress up in fashions that once took themselves seriously (except the Justin Bieber thing, that haircut was stupid then and its stupid now), but one thing I can get behind is music that harkens back to the good ol days. A time when the dubstep was in its infancy stages as the sound your dial-up modem made connecting to the internet.
Enter Wolf Alice and their album “My Love is Cool”— a grungy little band from the UK with an album full of tracks, any one of which could easily fit nicely onto a Big Shiny Tunes collection. (Do your damn homework people). Now I’m certainly not the first person to make the comparison to 90s icons, as a quick Google search of Wolf Alice interviews will yield you such assertions as: It’s like Alice in Chains had a baby with Veruca Salt). But there’s truth behind these statements, and this the one that got me to listen to the album actually, because c’mon, those two bands were incredible.. (“but, but, Alice in Chains is still around…” No they’re not. They died with Layne Staley). But please, if I may, I’d like to wade into great comparison circle jerk with a few of my own.
Lets start in their motherland for Track 1 — “Turn to Dust.” Does anyone else hear David Gilmour in this song? Haunting vocals, twangy Floyd-like guitar solo, and trippy sounds played backwards? There’s actaully more than one instance on this album I felt like I was traversing the dark side of the moon. Next we head to a parking lot outside a 7-11 for “Bros”— an updated version of Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979.” (Okay maybe it’s just the video that’s pulling me back there, but either way I’m not complaining. The first album I ever bought was Siamese Dream. It was on cassette and I bought it at a record store in the mall with my allowance.; just in case I haven’t dated myself enough already). “Your Loves Whore” follows giving me the only chance I’ve ever had in the last 15 years to mention The Ghadarvas. I can’t help but hear them here, and since you’ve proabbly never headr them
I Mother Earth
Any one of these tacks could easily fit onto Big Shiny Tunes
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