Good Bad, Not Evil
Black Lips
Score:79
Reviewer: Justin Pearsall
Label: Vice (USA), Etch 'n Sketch (Australia)
Reviewed: Dec 18th '07, Released:2007
Garage is one of the most critically misjudged genres. The looseness in the musicianship, the lo-fi nature of its recording and its ‘attitude’ all brew together in a manner that confounds critics and industry alike so that any band with squawking vocals and fuzzed out power chords are classed as ‘the next big thing’. Such judgements misrepresent the distinction between authenticity and posturising, and at a more basic level fail to understand that the energy of garage rock doesn’t mean shit unless the band has the songs and the talent to back it up.
Thankfully all the hype about The Black Lips is justified. Their appropriate tag lines: ‘fresh, wild and raw’ are all underpinned by the fact that they have existed for seven years, just now reaching their zenith with Good Bad Not Evil, a record that is partly the aforementioned energy of the tag line and tight, thought provoking songwriting.
While their sound exemplifies all of the trademarks of the garage genre, The Black Lips’ employ an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history behind rock ‘n’ roll to differentiate themselves from others. Whether it is the retro-revived R ‘n’ B of ‘Bad Kids’, the pedal steel-soaked, addled country of ‘How do you Tell a Child that Someone has Died’ or the psychedelia of ‘Navajo’, Good Bad Not Evil is a diverse record for any genre of music. The key success to the band’s genre-borrowing being that, whether in country, punk or retro mode, The Black Lips have the skills to imitate while still sounding like themselves.
When The Black Lips venture into the more straight-up garage rock they are equally enthralling. Album opener ‘I Saw a Ghost (Lean)’ and the Them-esque ‘O Katrina!’ burst forth with bravado and great melodies.
Rather than being ‘the next big thing’, The Black Lips are ready-made as themselves. And while 2007 seems to have been the year of bands poised to take the next big step, the word potential a candidate for this year’s musical catchphrase, The Black Lips are already at the required level. The exact opposite to the all talk, no action rule, Good Bad Not Evil is a varied and enjoyable outing.
