In this post-Strokes world of taut guitar pop, street-cool crooners, and ubiquitous use of the word “the,” it’s getting awfully hard for down and dirty rock bands to stand out.
Some aim for the lowest common fist-pumping denominator (Jet), some play up localist gimmicks (and Lynyrd Skynrd, in the case of Kings Of Leon), and others appeal to cheap ’80s nostalgia (The Killers). Others just go for the throat. The Cops are the obvious progeny of the aught-decade garage rock movement, but they are distinguished by a unique tough-guy-artist attitude and muscular musical chops.
Free Electricity, the second offering from Seattle group The Cops, is a compact collection of terse punk songs delivered with post-millennial drawl and sensational, arty fervor.
There have been plenty of records like these since the Modern Lovers’ Jonathan Richman shouted his first “1-2-3-4” over three decades ago. The Cops are never going to score points for overall originality, but they delight in noise and anger more than ennui and hormones, and as such, they stand out from the current crop of guitar bashers.
Opening with the one-two punch of “It’s Epidemic” and “Light it Off,” the Cops set the tone of Free Electricity in a dark, uncompromising manner. “It’s Epidemic” is an effective statement of purpose, combining necktie-tight riffs and howling synth noise, and recalling a more tuneful, latter-day Pere Ubu.
“Light It Off,” a similarly powerful tune, is tense, hooky, and a bit confusing. It’s unclear what they mean by “light it off,” though we are instructed that we have “got to” do so. The strung-together words have as much meaning as “tear it forth.” But it’s the obvious single and boasts their most indelible melody yet. “Cold Crushin'” is another dimly lit garage ditty with the best use of keyboards on the record.
There’s not much that stands in the way of Free Electricity‘s success except lyrical snafus, and arty as The Cops may be, it’s hard to come off like an artful thug without seeming silly. But its flaws are few, and with a record as likable and rocking as this, the Cops may have a minor hit on their hands.
– Mike McGovern
The Cops: www.thecopsmusic.com
Mt. Fuji Records: www.mtfujirecords.com