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JGuy Grungeman · 03-12-2016, 12:27 PM

I'm no Violent Femmes fan, but the debut is good. Now I rate their most recent album, "We Can Do Anything.

Style: Acoustic Rock, Alternativ e Rock, Folk Punk
Release: March 4
Length: Approx. 30 min.

Violent Femmes have been waning in quality since Hallowed Ground, I've heard. But judging from the ratings, none of them are so bad as to be on the same pedastal as Lulu. Well, it's a decent album overall.

OK, Memory was a good way to start it off. Classic Femmes sound. I feel, and I'm honest, that Meat Loaf could've covered it. The song has a similar tone, only this is an acoustic/alternative song. But listen to the lyrics. “Would you wander back from where you are? You see, I see, I cannot see. But I've come so far with a little guitar. And I play in bars and I'm lost in stars.” Total Meat Loaf cheese. My Meat Loaf senses are very high. I don't know what they were thinking with “I Could Be Anything.” It starts out as a weird carnival story about slaying dragons, powered by a switch between banjos and accordions. And it finishes that way. Odd. I will say this. It wasn't bad. “Issues” is a slower, goofy song. It's an acoustic track backed up by low horns and melodic backing vocals. “Holy Ghost” is a more upbeat song going back to their folk punk days. It's better on the second listen. “What You Really Mean” is a nice song, but it tries to be Springsteen. “Foothills” is another song trying to be something else. It's got that same Violent Femmes acoustic alternative sound,m but it tries to be an upbeat love song. Now we have another punk song with accordion, “Traveing Solves Everything.” Well, it couldn't solve the problems this song has. Lyrically weak, feeling inconsistent, vocally challenged. 6/10. “Big Car” doesn't seem to help either. By now, the VF sound has gotten tiring, as Gamo now tried to Lou Reed-ify his voice but it only ends up in post-break up Doug Yule failure (hence Squeeze). Although consistent, the song has no flair at all. “Untrue Love” is a soft country song. Gothic country, I believe. Well, Johnny Cash can pull of a deep voice, because he has a deep voice. Gano is not Johnny Cash. At this point I was wondering, “Is he going to spend the whole second half failing at impressions?”

Violent Femmes fans may be disappointed that it didn't hold its own against the first at all. But I was never into the first. What gets me is how it's been like 30 years and Gano sounds practically the same as in the debut. However, he needs to keep it that way. He shouldn't go off trying to be someone else. It didn't help the second half. Still, decent album:

71/100

03-12-2016, 12:27 PM	#24 (permalink)
JGuy Grungeman Primo Celebate Sexiness Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,662	I'm no Violent Femmes fan, but the debut is good. Now I rate their most recent album, "We Can Do Anything. Style: Acoustic Rock, Alternativ e Rock, Folk Punk Release: March 4 Length: Approx. 30 min. Violent Femmes have been waning in quality since Hallowed Ground, I've heard. But judging from the ratings, none of them are so bad as to be on the same pedastal as Lulu. Well, it's a decent album overall. OK, Memory was a good way to start it off. Classic Femmes sound. I feel, and I'm honest, that Meat Loaf could've covered it. The song has a similar tone, only this is an acoustic/alternative song. But listen to the lyrics. “Would you wander back from where you are? You see, I see, I cannot see. But I've come so far with a little guitar. And I play in bars and I'm lost in stars.” Total Meat Loaf cheese. My Meat Loaf senses are very high. I don't know what they were thinking with “I Could Be Anything.” It starts out as a weird carnival story about slaying dragons, powered by a switch between banjos and accordions. And it finishes that way. Odd. I will say this. It wasn't bad. “Issues” is a slower, goofy song. It's an acoustic track backed up by low horns and melodic backing vocals. “Holy Ghost” is a more upbeat song going back to their folk punk days. It's better on the second listen. “What You Really Mean” is a nice song, but it tries to be Springsteen. “Foothills” is another song trying to be something else. It's got that same Violent Femmes acoustic alternative sound,m but it tries to be an upbeat love song. Now we have another punk song with accordion, “Traveing Solves Everything.” Well, it couldn't solve the problems this song has. Lyrically weak, feeling inconsistent, vocally challenged. 6/10. “Big Car” doesn't seem to help either. By now, the VF sound has gotten tiring, as Gamo now tried to Lou Reed-ify his voice but it only ends up in post-break up Doug Yule failure (hence Squeeze). Although consistent, the song has no flair at all. “Untrue Love” is a soft country song. Gothic country, I believe. Well, Johnny Cash can pull of a deep voice, because he has a deep voice. Gano is not Johnny Cash. At this point I was wondering, “Is he going to spend the whole second half failing at impressions?” Violent Femmes fans may be disappointed that it didn't hold its own against the first at all. But I was never into the first. What gets me is how it's been like 30 years and Gano sounds practically the same as in the debut. However, he needs to keep it that way. He shouldn't go off trying to be someone else. It didn't help the second half. Still, decent album: 71/100 __________________ I'm a pretty nice troll if you ask me.