Cornershop’s Hybrid Sound Fails to Captivate
After 7-year vacation, Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast is not a worthy souvenir.
Cornershop
Judy Sucks a Lemon For Breakfast
Released on Aug 04, 2009
There are a lot of things that
I should know of and don’t, ranging from pop cultural “icons”
to classic films to groundbreaking musicians. Before this album (Judy Sucks a Lemon For Breakfast), I could
chalk up Cornershop as one of those bands that I’m sure I should know
something about, but just don’t. I do know that Handcream for a
Generation (the band’s previous album) is a great title. I also
know that I’m slightly intrigued by popular descriptions of their
sound as a mix of Brit rock, electronica, and Indian music.
Unfortunately, my intrigue is rather unfounded. It’s not that Cornershop isn’t eclectic and creative, it’s just that they seem to be out of practice — as if they’d been sitting around, not really doing much with music since Handcream in 2002, but decided that they should put out an album just because. It’s possible that fans will hail this as a triumphant return, but a few words for new listeners: this is not the Cornershop album you want to start with.
My “out of practice” critique
stems from the radical disparity between the two dominant sounds on
the album. They’ve got worldly, ambling creativity on tracks like
“Chamchu,” “The Constant Springs,” and “The Turned On Truth
(The Truth is Turned On).” Then, they seem to take a cue from classic
rock songs (sprinkled with a bit of sitar) on tracks like “Who Fingered
Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “The Mighty Quinn.”
While I’m normally all for
a variety of sounds and styles on an album, these two do not work together.
At all. It’s not all that enjoyable to go from something that sounds
like it would be at home on the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack
to something that sounds like it belongs in a dive bar. As if to make
up for this discordance, Cornershop throws in cheesy back-up singers
on a couple of songs along with every single instrument that each member
has ever learned. A particularly out of place clarinet (or oboe, I’m
not entirely sure), takes the award for “Worst Addition,” but the
cowbell in “Who Fingered Rock ‘n’ Roll” isn’t far off.
Now, their willingness to showcase loads of different instruments does work in their favor at times, and the few songs in which their sound finds a middle ground are decent. “Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast,” the title track, benefits from the strings in the background, and it’s one of the more “stable” songs on the album — though there is still that awful clarinet/oboe running throughout it.
I’m not a seasoned fan, so perhaps I’m missing the true essence of Cornershop. But how good can a band be if you have to listen to all of their previous work just to “understand” or appreciate them? Whether it’s their bipolar sound or the ridiculous 16+ minute length of “The Turned On Truth,” this album leaves a sour taste in my mouth. At least I can “understand” how Judy felt.
High Point
The title track — it’s listenable, but still has a sense of creativity to it thanks to the strings.
Low Point
The hodge-podge nature of almost the entire album — here’s hoping for a more polished release next time.
Posted by Alyssa Vincent on Aug 13, 2009 @ 6:00 am
