Saturday, January 26, 2008

Dengue Fever / "Venus On Earth"


Sudden fever, severe head, muscle, and joint aches, and an unsightly rash covering great amounts of your upper body; these are the symptoms of dengue fever. Wondering what the point of what you're listening to is, unintentional laughter, and annoyance; these are the symptoms of listening to Dengue Fever. Dengue Fever is a six-piece band from Los Angeles who thought it would be a brilliant idea to blend Cambodian pop music and 60's psychedelia.

On this release, the group's third full length, they include an approximately even ratio of songs sung in English and Khmer. Here's a general summary of every song, regardless of language: start with a sonic technique that basically amounts to a blend of Jefferson Airplane, traditional eastern Asian music, and shit. The key here is to make sure it never sounds original or good. Now add vocals from Chhom Nimol, whose vocals more frequently turn-off than tune-in the listener. They are nasally, off-key, and never convincing or gripping. It's the equivalent of adding salt to an already painful wound.

Sure, there's moments on this album that are worthwhile, but these moments never continue through an entire track. I'm not sure if they even add up to an entire track. While it's true I'd rather listen to this album than be infected with dengue fever, it's also true that I'd rather listen to damn near anything else than Dengue Fever.

Rating: 2.8

1 comment:

Tom said...

yes. dengue fever.