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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Gravy Train!!!! —All the Sweet Stuff —
Wednesday 20 June @ 13:05:22 |
 
CD REVIEW
by LOREN GREEN
All the Sweet Stuff is the San Francisco band Gravy Train!!!!’s fourth release and first on Cochon Records. This release continues in their style of trashy electropop, but, with production cameos from various San Francisco dance groups, the album has a slightly cleaner, poppier feel. Think Le Tigre and Fannypack, but more vulgar and sex-centric. Their press release proudly proclaims Gravy Train!!!! is “channeling pure vanity and glamour a la Divine in John Waters’ Female Trouble.”
The record starts out mildly, with the vocals on the title track feeling a little off-key and delivered over repetitive synth beats. It’s tolerable and upbeat, but dismissible. Then you look at the lyric sheet and realize the less-than-subtle meaning behind the title. It brings a crass smile. As the album continues, the pace builds and by “Solo J/O,” Gravy Train!!!! is hitting their stride. The group’s strength comes when they include more backing vocals and sing-alongs. The middle of the album is definitely the group at their best, with chanted, upbeat choruses that beg you to sing, dance and, at times, clap along. After the catchiness has won you over, you again return to the lyric sheet, and the severity of the raunchiness hits. The allusion to 1970s John Waters is definitely on point.
Gravy Train!!!! feels to be largely a novelty band, with happy keyboards and lyrics that bounce between ridiculous and obscene. Half of the album is energetic and catchy, but All the Sweet Stuff is inconsistent when the tempo slows. “Strip 4 Me,” “Jody” and “A Delicious Treat” are all fun songs that would fit nicely on a mixtape, but alone they do not warrant a purchase of the entire album unless you’re the type to frequently hit the skip button.
They will be headlining a queercore showcase at the Bedlam Theatre on July 12.
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