The Monkey Power Trio have their 15th platter of wigged out mayhem out, and good news: it’s a great one – their best in a while. It feels like the day was more fun, possibly. Or maybe it’s just me. In any case, I dig it.
Who Cares What the Vultures Want? is true to the band’s nature/vow – unrehearsed, written and recorded in one day. Mistakes are everywhere, and the time is nuts. In-tune singing is rare. But it is wunderbar. The songs are crazily good, and this collection is full of the rock-out loud songs (which is when this band are their best).
Check out the nicely-titled opener Rug Burn Party (which sounds like it’s sung by Dick the Bruiser) or the heavy King Crimson-sans-all-the-precision Boy in a Balloon (which sacrifices everything for its off-key joke ending.)
Chiasmus is awesome, a clever addition to the very few songs daring to discuss grammar since Alanis’ unintentional destruction of the definition of irony in the 90s. Bravo, MPT … I hope you got Chiasmus right.
Don’t Excarnate Your Kids is fully rollicking and the source of the album title – the shouted chorus of “Who! Cares! What the vultures want!” tops off an already happening song. And I Love Bread is a mid-80s white rap about how saliva helps digest food. You can’t lose, with this record. Get yourself a copy today at their site. Nice job, MPT.
Oh yeah – Vultures is on camouflage-coloured vinyl – a nice touch that only makes up for the terrible cover. Sorry guys, but I really miss the Chasing Monsters and Tentacles of Despair style covers. Two monkey-doodle covers in a row is too much.
(bad) monkey X 