Seldom does a debut album impress me as much as Kamikaze does. Creativity, maturity, fun--this album has it all. Perhaps it is the fact that Rhubarb has been together for over five years. Having never released a song until mid-'98 (when one of their songs was used on a local compilation), the band has spent most of its time playing live and honing its sound.
With its first recorded album, Rhubarb has put together some of the songs which have, over the past several years, helped build a loyal fan base. The result is an eclectic mix of melodic pop, energetic punk pop, lots of vocal harmonies, and a dose of moody Aussie flavor sprinkled on top. In addition, Steve Drinkall's lead vocals work extremely well against the melodic backdrop. He sounds quite a bit like Grant Nelson from Dumpster, with the same type of harmonic, emo-ish voice. This guy can really sing!
Kamikaze opens with "Zero," a song with which the band won a local band competition, landing them considerable secular radio play (four singles have been released to date). "Zero" sets the tone for the rest of the album, cutting its niche somewhere between the softer pop songs and the faster alternative/punk songs. "Exerciser" is probably the catchiest song on the record. When released as a single, it bounced right into the top ten of the national alternative radio station. Starting and finishing in less than two minutes, "Exerciser" lasts just long enough to make the listener want to listen again, and again, and again (and maybe just once more). In much the same vein as "Exerciser" is "Nice Girls," which has just been released as a single. The song is two minutes of pure punk pop delight, and I think that it could definitely be a chart topper.
Production was carried out by none other than Caleb James (from Battered Fish) and engineered by Mark McElligott (who worked with Beanbag on their record). While there is no noticeable Battered Fish influence in the music, Rhubarb does explain that James had a sizeable impact on the outcome of Kamikaze: "The best thing that Caleb does for you is he stretches you. He's not happy for a song to be OK. He makes you milk it until it is just right." James took away the award for producer of the year at the prestigious Sunny Awards.
Puzzling statements like "nothing changes after zero, every day is my tomorrow" (from "Zero") establish Rhubarb as a band whose lyrics require more than a glance for full comprehension. The band feel no need to mention God or Jesus in every song, and as far as I can tell there is only one instance of the J-word. Several songs have nothing to do with spiritual issues. Take, for example, "Holiday" which is about wanting, you guessed it, to go on a holiday. And no, the song 'Nice Girls' is not a profound metaphor of some sort: it's about a relationship. There is, however, a sprinkling of Christian-based thoughts. "Exerciser" shows some spiritual sentiment with the line "I've got a hero that I'll follow to the end." Cleverly positioned together on the disc, "Want Me Back," "Lead Me," and "Waiting For Me" all express a desire to give everything over to God and be led by him:
Could you take me over there
If I leave my load behind
I can meet you anywhere
I'm not that hard to find...
...When I give I have to you
Watch me start to fly
("Want Me Back")
Won't some one lead me?
Won't some one take me?
Won't some one feed me?
It's lonely as I call
("Lead Me")
Want a taste of another land
Give my life for a second chance
I want to find out
Give myself to another king
What does your independence bring
I want to find out
("Waiting For Me")
Kamikaze really impresses me, and not because it has all the clever little production stunts and addictive hooks. Raw and emotive, it reminds me of Travis, though overall not as melancholic. With fast tunes like "Exerciser" and "Nice Girls," Kamikaze is also fun. And heck, when you've got those three things in the same record, you're in for thirty minutes of solid musical enjoyment.
3.5 tocks
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