Black Kids - Partie Traumatic
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Free Music Notes for Partie Traumatic
Free Music Review: brilliant
Hit: 4 Stars
This record kicks so hard, it's such a shame that this band doesn't get more press. MGMT wish their second disc sounded like this; if it had, music media outlets would be hailing this record as brilliant -- which the Black Kids are. Too bad so few people know about them.Free Music Review: Greatness!
Hit: 4 Stars
Wow, I was so anxious and nervous about getting my first product but once I recieved it my worries vanished! If you like great, catchy beats to sing along to, Black Kid's Partie Traumatic, is a brilliant pick!Free Music Review: Black Kids - Partie Traumatic 5.5/10
Hit: 3 Stars
Black Kids are the latest in a long line of "next-big-thing" bands trumpeted by musical tastemakers such as NME and Pitchfork, with their EP Wizard of Ahhs featured on numerous "Best New Music" lists. Copping heavily from the `80s, with a vocalist in the best Robert Smith tradition, and a deep bag of sugary melodies at their disposal, Black Kids seemed to have all the ingredients to make it big in the indie world. They're even from (Jacksonville!!!) Florida, and I have to give them credit for escaping that cultural black hole.
But as many bands do when the bullet train of Internet publicity hits them, smart decisions and good artistic choices tend to go out the window (see: Some Loud Thunder) in favor of cashing in on the hype. And so we have Partie Traumatic, Black Kids' debut album released almost a year after their EP but consisting of no less than four songs (all of them, in other words) from that record. That's 40% of this disc of "new" material. Sure, they've been "re-recorded," but honestly, everyone knows it's the same bleepin' song.
But wait, the songs are good, aren't they? After all, didn't Rolling Stone name Black Kids one of their "artists to watch" for 2008? Yes, the songs are good. They were good when everyone first heard them back in August '07. Catchy and irrepressibly urgent, the tunes bounce along on cheap synths and singer Reggie Youngblood's Cure-ish yearning yelp.
"I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" is the best of these four, although "Hit The Heartbrakes" comes in at a close second. Both cash in on quirky, appealing choruses and playful boy-girl vocal interplay. The sexy cowbell on "Heartbrakes" doesn't hurt, either.
Of the new songs, however, Black Kids doesn't seem to live up to much of the hype. To begin with, all of the songs sound pretty much the same to those on the EP, all four-on-the-floor beats and squeaky keyboards. Songs like "Listen To Your Body Tonight" and the title track seem practically interchangeable with the four from the EP, with only slight distinctions, such as a slightly more obnoxious synthesizer line than usual, to separate them from the pack.
Unfortunately, Partie Traumatic tends to coast along on cruise control for the majority of the album. Youngblood's voice goes from cute to tolerable to annoying by the middle of the album. That same needling `80s synth pops up in nearly every song, and virtually every tune skips along at the same vaguely dance-y tempo. And the lyrics are ridiculously inane, from "my girl's been a real whore / spending her time with Theodore" on "Love Me Already" to the unbelievable line "cuz it's so sticky in the Dirty South / it's hot as balls" on "Hit The Heartbrakes." Much like Youngblood's voice, the youthful charm quickly wears off with repetition.
At the end of the day, what Black Kids have offered up is a serviceable indie pop album that does present a number of viable singles and a glimpse at actual talent buried under a cloying affection for the `80s. One can only hope they survive long enough in the oversaturated world of Internet hype long enough to realize it.
Free Music Review: Partie Traumatic
Hit: 3 Stars
Somewhere between Wizard of Ahhhs and Partie Traumatic, Black Kids lost the knack for production that made their debut EP such an engaging listen. While the songwriting remains solid on their debut LP, the album possesses a glossy sheen of production that is ill at ease among the band's skittish pop. The reworkings of Wizard of Ahhhs tracks all pale in comparison to their original counterparts, which had a darker, hazier vibe that was much more appealing for Black Kids' brand of anthemic pop. The new songs are all musically equivalent to the excellent material culled from Wizard of Ahhhs, but again the overproduction drags the arrangements down into a pristene sea of drab, cookie-cutter sound. The vocals don't fare well in this new production style, either, as Black Kids lead singer Reggie Youngblood takes on a haggard yelp with the treble levels on the record mixed so high.
However, Partie Traumatic still manages to be an enjoyable record. Ultimately, working with a professional producer hurt the band's sound, and though Partie Traumatic is by no means a bad listen, it doesn't meet the expectations created by the bands excellent debut EP. However, for fans of funky, anthemic pop, there will certainly be something to like.
Free Music Review: Hardly Traumatic, Could Be Better
Hit: 3 Stars
I totally fell in love with the Black Kids' EP, which contained "Hit the Heartbrakes", "Hurricane Jane", "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend...", and "I've Underestimated My Charm". I think these are all great songs, so I was psyched to pick up the Black Kids' debut album. From my initial listenings, I was impressed with this band's potential. However, I think their debut could have been better.
Like the other reviewers mentioned, the production is a bit different, but I didn't think the change was drastic. However, there's no new song on the album that's any better than "Teach Your Boyfriend", my favorite track, or any other of their previous songs. I was hoping they'd build on what we'd heard before, rather than giving us more of the same. Partie Traumatic is much too short and ends abruptly. It has no "arc" or songs that differ in dynamics much, which gives the album the impression of being thrown together quickly. I can't blame the Black Kids' label for wanting to get their music out there, as it could potentially be a "next big thing". But at a mere 38 minutes, the party hardly has a chance to get started.