The Conspiracy Continues, Pet Style, With New Record

I think it’s no secret that my musical affiliations lie in the rock side of the spectrum! With a few exceptions, the heavier the better! I’ve strayed off every so often and developed an appreciation for French rap (Solaar) and Faithless. So, I’ve really tried to be open minded this time around listening to what i consider an “electronic” album.

The new Pet Conspiracy record landed in my lap and I’ve been taking it for a spin over the past week with unexpected results. One of the main reasons i managed to get into Pet was their live shows, stage production and the fierceness of Helen Feng’s voice and personality… Well, Helen is no longer in the band and this is a recording so there are no stage distractions! It’s all about the music baby! How does it stack up?

The record, Self Titled, consists of 11 tracks. The opening number, Rebirth, kicks things off with a nice bass loop and vocals before those familiar synth beats kick in. There’s a certain richness to it and good chill vibe!
Beyond, the second track and lead single, kicks things up a few notches! It’s fast, hard driving, edgy, screamy and will be great live! The video they made for it is actually entertaining.
Jacika, track 3, picks up where Beyond left and keeps going. The vocals are surprisingly good! Sure, it’s missing that suave element, but it has gained a rawness that is pretty fitting. Lovesick, track 9, is another stand out number that see Edo step into the mic. It’s grabbing, reminiscent of some early Faithless songs. I actually remembered it from the first time i caught them play without Helen.

The other songs, to my untrained unappreciative ear, sound pretty much the same! Disposable electronic beats, maybe one step up from the random stuff DJs tend to play.
One major complaint is that the real instruments seem to be drowned by the loops.. Huzi’s guitar can barely be heard through the tracks, same for Edo’s drumming! This comes through specially on track 10, Ya Baby, that pretty much sounds like a filler..

Overall, I like the album more than i thought i would! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not gonna be playing it for the sake of playing it… sorry! but There’s something to those beats that makes me wanna get up and dance! Not many records do that anymore!
Here again is the video for the new single: Beyond

Catch Pet Conspiracy Saturday night, June 4th, at Tango 3F (Formerly Starlive). I’m curious to see what they do with the place if i make it there.
There’s also a cool article on TimeOut that summarizes what’s been happening with the band:
http://www.timeoutbeijing.com/features/Music/11953/Pet-Conspiracy.html