Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 3/5 Released: August 19, 2003 Reviewer: Jason Zalmanowitz |
In 1996, with the release of their first EP, they were described as Energetic and Fresh. In 2001, when a remake of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal†hit the airwaves, they were again described as Energetic and Fresh. Well, it’s 2003 and the Freshness has worn off. And honestly, who has time for Energy these days? If you’ve been in a tour bus accident that killed your friend and left you paralyzed, you would make the time.
Let’s flash back to 2001 for a moment. Those four playful players of Southern California’s newest nu-metal group decided it’d be a neat idea to cover a popular song. Their cover turned out to be a runaway success – forever associating “Smooth Criminal†with Alien Ant Farm in the minds of those too young to remember Thriller. With such a success like this, the band would normally be branded as a one-hit-wonder. The only problem was that it wasn’t their hit to begin with. Not too bad for a major label debut, eh? Now, then, lets jump forward to 2003.
Submitted for your approval lies “TruANTâ€, the second LP to land on the DreamWorks Records label. Sounds of cowbells, horns, and clichéd angsty lyrics ring out on this LP – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With all of the happy-go-lucky lyrics that are gracing the liners of LPs everywhere, it’s nice to hear Dryden Mitchell profess that we are, in fact, “drifting apart like people do†and that he wonders “where we standâ€. It’s good that he is questioning this, as I wouldn’t have thought to. I never knew our relationship needed work.
The first single off of TruANT, a title that happens to be closely related to a double entendre, is surprisingly hard to like initially. This was no “Smooth Criminalâ€. As a short ballad, this incredibly cynical and sexually oriented track comes across as a hard hitting ‘hey-I-didn’t-know-we-needed-a-come-back’ come back track. In fact, “These Days†made me wonder what Alien Ant Farm were doing. They were either crazy, or they knew what was to come. And then the music video came on…
In the true fashion of being tongue-in-cheek nu-metal superstars, or just U2 wannabe’s, the music video was shot on the roof of this year’s BET music awards. The stunned audience, after the initial audible boo’s, warms up to the band’s hi-jinx – allowing for their security to call the local authorities. As the band asks if they can have sex with the subject of the song, Nelly rolls down his window and smiles. Once the band is arrested, a good time is had by all.
It will be interesting to see what AAF manages to pull together over the next few years. TruANT feels like the first real attempt at industry recognition. Alien Ant Farm isn’t a band to be stuck in traffic with, but nor are they an entity to be quickly dismissed. Whether you’re sitting in your basement playing XBox or hosting a midsummer bar-b-que with a headliner band, consider AAF. Their flow, their vibe, and their style – all appropriate for a casual good time.
