[rating=3.00]
There are sexy songs. Marvin Gaye’s career was fueled by sexy ballads that are still played at weddings, parties and candle light dinners today.
There are perverted songs that deal with bizarre obsessions. Everyone and everything from current day M.C.’s to Zappa, from fecal matter to Punky Meadows Lips. Humor and simple gross out’s are at the root of most of these tunes.
Then there are raunchy songs. Existing somewhere in the shimmering/filthy nether regions between sexy and perverted. The tunes can stir something deep, but that passion comes from a dirty section of your mind. Morningwood pops and oozes like a thick liquid into this realm with their debut and self-titled album. A quartet of three males fronted by a female can’t just decide one day to be named Morningwood. If, as a band, you choose this name, you need to stand up, stretch, do some jumping jacks and embrace the ‘wood. Good thing for the listener that this crew is more than game for shenanigans, adding a wink and a poke just for fun. With it’s members having played with a variety of musical acts (everyone from Money Mark to Space Hog to Natalie Merchant) the very focused, hip-pumping rock and roll on display here is a pleasant surprise.
The speedy power punch guitar with an early 80’s pop edge finds it’s way into almost every song here, giving it a 2am party feel. The lyrics and vocal performance of frontwoman Chantel Claret sound soaked with a bit of Jagermeister and even more sauciness. Scary sexy, she is singing as if tonight is the night it will all happen, but “all” might not be remembered tomorrow. When her howl/whisper tells you to “Take Off Your Clothes” you put down your iPod and obey. Songs such as “Babysitter” with the lyric “One thing I choose to admit/Is that your daddy daddy daddy/shouldn’t let me Baby-sit” make you want to break out the gimp mask…in a good way. The swagger is staggering, and this New York based band sounds as if they would be just as comfortable rocking a loft in Willamsburg for a bunch of hipsters or a booth in Peep World for a rain-jacketed few.
At times, the dancey feel seems to override the rock and locks the low-end into repetition, but the asses shaking at the live show must be a pleasant reward for the simple beats. Morningwood also tends to find too much comfort in the low verse/loud chorus formula, which makes the 11-song disc drag towards the end. However, the orgasmic release of early gems, “Jetsetter” and “Body 21” will make the last few songs seem like a post-coitus cigarette. “Nth Degree” in particular sounds as if it could be a smash hit, banging from hip dorm rooms around the country this semester, acting as the soundtrack to late night hook-ups of all sorts. Turn it up, strip on down, lick it up, pass on out, dream for hours, awake to the Morningwood.
For more info see: morningwoodrocks.com
