The Jazz Butcher
Cult of the Basement (Rough Trade) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
The aptly named Jazz Butcher (a k a Pat Fish) carves up musical styles with glee on ”Cult of the Basement.” Actually, he has been doing that for years in Britain, where his mixture of odd stylistic pastiches and straight-ahead pop has made him a critics` favorite. Yes, but can the kids dance to it, you ask? Well, you can tango to the instrumental, ”The Basement,” which is inexplicably reprised several times throughout the album. ”Panic in Room 109” is a post-punk rocker propelled by a driving bass line, and ”She`s on Drugs” is perky enough with its ”sha-la-la” chorus. A throwaway is the country and western sendup ”My Zeppelin” with its nonsensical lyrics, while ”Daycare Nation” is a sardonic look at Britain in the `90s. This is quirky, occasionally dissonant but more often than not cutting-edge pop.
Ratings:
Excellent (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Good (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
Fair (STAR)(STAR)
Poor (STAR)
