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Rating: "Boom Box" is a 90's boombox. Like the one that blasted "Fight The Power" at stadium decibels on Radio Raheem's shoulders in the film "Do the Right Thing"... Do you remember the scene? A beast in NBA player style whom no one would dare to ask to turn down the volume...
But "Boom Box" is more than a Spike Lee film. It is also, and above all, I would say, the latest work by the Beatsteaks.
A band you surely remember for their recent punk rock past. Of the very Californian "Smack Smash" from 2004, which almost seemed to echo the quintessential melodic hardcore album, "Smash" by The Offspring of course, nothing is left. They've come a long way since then. But the desire, and the nearly two-decade passion of a band still current and innovative, remains nonetheless.
Saying that "Boom Box" has nothing to do with pure punk is not an exaggeration,
The Berlin quintet has very clear ideas. But the staggering fact is that they confuse us listeners, continuously at that. The innovations introduced in the latest album released just a few months ago (January 2011) are not few. Just as even the previous one (Limbo Messiah 2007) was never predictable. They prove to be impervious to any type of labeling, which out of habit we love to stick everywhere.
Yes, we could casually classify them as a simple punk rock band with influences... Maybe a German crossover punk rock band from Berlin... It does have a certain effect...
But alas, doing so would be a significant oversight: the Beatsteaks have solidified, over their long career and not inconsiderable struggle (they even opened for the Sex Pistols), a truly commendable sonic impact and represent, in my humble opinion, one of the most eclectic groups in the entire punk scene. They have punk, they have reggae, they have the blues... And you might say there's nothing new so far. But there's more. The versatility of the singer (Arnim Teutoburg-Weiß) allows them to play with countless genres. In fact, he has a voice that is sometimes strong and shouted, sometimes melodic and singable. Rasping and lucidly dreamlike in the whispered falsettos.
"Boom Box" is an album with a thousand faces: the latest work depicts a hand on the cover ready to fire a shot. Not from a .44 magnum. That would be too predictable. But from an innocuous paper bag filled with air. Armed and ready to burst... As if to say "Listen up!"...
"Boom Box" is indeed a bomb: Arnim and his mates draw heavily from pop music, ska, reggae. Without any hesitation, they alternate tracks in pure punk rock style ("Behaviour") with more catchy tunes.
Among the latter, we can mention the first single released from the album. "Milk & Honey": it opens with a "tune" riff. It feels like putting on a 50s vinyl. Then they launch into a chorus that burns into your memory, making it impossible to forget, even on the first listen. Here the voice vaguely resembles that of Morrissey, the singer/leader of the "Smiths". Especially in the hook of the chorus (... "Ever!! The coolcats I adore....uuouoaoo!!...").
Among the 11 tracks on the album, "Automatic" stands out to me: hell if it's a magical beat. One of those "carefree skanky tunes" that twirls your legs. Makes you move like a hamster driven crazy by the whirling wheel that so torments it.
You will also find "Let's See" worth mentioning, where a ska/danceable sentiment still lingers, easy listening.
It's worth noting compared to previous albums, where they had accustomed us to dub, ragga, modern reggae sounds, and a more dancehall-oriented sound in the end, they seem rather to draw from the "Roots" and those pioneering bands of the genre that we now gather in the immense cauldron of reggae/ska music.
The tone changes entirely with "Under a Clean Blue Sky". A track where guitar distortions are not spared. The percussion rages on a 3/4 frenzied, seductive, and innovative rhythm: this track is just a small showcase of the band's enormous destructive potential:
Live, (I've had the chance to listen to them at the Jahunderthalle in Frankfurt) it stands out how easily they play with genres. At one point, imagine the singer launching into a solo on samplers, on the riff of "Angel of Death" by the vampire slayers ;D. This seems to be at least unusual for a gang of Teutonic punk rockers. From their live performance emerges also a certain pursuit and care for sound: they use vintage instruments, amplifiers, and guitars, thus enhancing the decision to freely draw inspiration from a repertoire that is somewhat dated in years. And they do it with great effectiveness.
A "Boom Box" album that might disappoint punk purists. It certainly winks at a broader audience and maybe even to those who just can't stomach punk.
But without a doubt, we are talking about a group that has been able to combine two seemingly conflicting feelings, marking another positive milestone both in their discography and regarding unmistakable originality, which seems to be more and more a luxury and not a necessity!
There's no denying how "Boom Box" makes you nod your head without even wanting to... Then when the "Riddim" kicks in and the grit grows, they produce the same surprise effect expressed on the CD cover: just like that shot fired from that inflated balloon. Straight to the listener's ear and stomach.
Emilio Pantuliano
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