Centro-Matic/South San Gabriel: Dual Hawks
Friday, 04 Apr 2008 19:04
Failed experiment: Centro-Matic/South San Gabriel: Dual Hawks
Cooking Vinyl, out April 7th.
In a nutshell...
Same band. Two names. Two discs. Dull mediocrity all the way.
What's it all about?
Centro-matic provide 11 tracks of brusque generic country-pub rock, meanwhile, their South San Gabriel alter-ego serve up slightly more experimental, longer and mellow indie-folk.
Who's it by?
Based in Denton (in Texas, not Greater Manchester), quartet Centro-matic are named after a model of an Italian accordion, releasing nine full-length albums, four EPs and a bunch of singles over the last ten years. Meanwhile, South San Gabriel (who are once again Centro-matic but also include various additional members) have put out two records, with lead singer Will Johnson also releasing a couple of solo efforts. They're certainly productive if nothing else.
As an example...
"Won't you come and pick us up when you arrive?" - Two Gold Seats Reserved
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Doubtful. Q, Word and other middle-aged music mags might dig it though.
What the others say
"Pleasant it is, gripping it's not; more old mans' pub resplendent with open fire than debauched Saturday night haven for high jinx and drunken delirium." - Rock Midgets
So is it any good?
Sorry but no. While Centro-matic's The Rat Patrol and DJs and Counting the Stars, as well as SSG's The Arc And The Cusp all contain some nice touches, there is very little across either record which stands out here.
The Centro-matic half of the album possibly shades it with its Bright Eyes-esque rough'n'ready country swagger, but this is just perhaps there is a faint whimper of energy to it but not much. After my numerous attempts to listen to this record on the bus, I've had to put on some Ramones, read Bukowski, poke red hot coals into my eye or literally do anything that has some passion to it upon my return home to wake me up.
There is barely anything that sticks in the mind here. Music should evoke passion, anger, laughter, joy, sadness or at least something. Dual Hawks does none of these things.
Perhaps if this was pruned down to one album it'd be a more engaging effort, with the slow-burning SSG contrasting the more up-tempo Centro-matic. While no-one can doubt Will Johnson's productivity over the years with Centro-matic or otherwise, one can't help thinking the music should be much better than this by now.
Centro-matic 5.25/10
South San Gabriel 5/10
Ashley King
"Sorry but this review is useless to me. If you listened to this once on a bus ride, then you are neither armed with enough information, nor generally equipped with the right stuff to write a review for it. I have been with Centro-Matic since Navigational(1998 - still my favorite). I have not loved every moment of every album (though that can be said for most bands), but C is one of the most consistent bands I know in terms of good songwriting/recording/performance, etc. This album is VERY good. Listen to it more than once, (maybe even *gasp* in two sittings... unheard of?) and you will surely be hooked. How could you possibly ignore tracks like Twenty Four? And seriously... if the Ramones and Bukowski are what wakes you up, then maybe you shouldn't be reviewing music that has some substance and longevity. This is the music that Conor Oberst wants to make... not vice-versa. If you do your math and history, Will Johnson has been writing great songs for just as long - if not longer. As a LONG-time fan of many things Britpop, I actually expected better from an English reviewer that should have good music under his belt." - Larry Horn
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