Search - Lotus Crown :: Chokin on the Jokes

A shamefully ignored psych-pop wonder...

poniesforchrist | Brooklyn, NY United States | 03/13/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"jimi shields of lotus crown honed his faculty with offbeat pop songs on the classic rollerskate skinny record 'shoulder voices'...and of course you recognize his last name; i believe he is kevin's brother (of MBV, duh)his lotus crown project followed his split from rollerskate skinny, and found him based in chicago writing songs similar in spirit to those on 'shoulder voices': wryly constructed, by turns clamorous and graceful, fearless and endlessly inventive...(tracks 2 through 5 on 'shoulder voices' offer the listener more ideas and odd hooks than most bands muster in an entire career!)"chokin' on the jokes" seduces with its organic swirl of guitars and loose rhythms, with dots and dashes of strange noises and eccentric instrumentation...from the opening "well of a mother's symphony", with its spiritualized-esque repeated guitar intro and languid progression, the record carves out its own sweet, impossibly warm and unselfconscious vibe without becoming precious or retro or twee...the songs sometimes lurch and stagger under their own awkwardness, but the result is not that they sound pompous or overproduced, but rather that they are all labors of love, and that shields wanted to make something unique and honest, instead of something that would manipulate...the gorgeous ballad "shuttle weary" showcases shields warm voice, which seems a little awkward itself, like the music...his lyrics are odd throughout, but offer a lot of depth once you sift through the weirdness...the sad "shuttle" ends with an oddly anthemic, melancholy maxim: "bang bang to boys in ball parks"the line from the infectious shuffle "blue arse fly" says a lot of shields' intentions: "i'm pitching for another underdog victory, anyone can play"...the heartrending "no title" is a short, mournful song about the loneliness and frustration of the artistic process, and like the rest of the album, it differs from the other songs just enough to have its own voice, but not so much so as to seem incongrous...the album closes with an out-of-nowhere breakbeat instrumental that charges on for five or so minutes...it's a record bursting with ideas, much like 'shoulder voices'...fans of rollerskate skinny and kid silver, or those that tire of the overreaching triple albums of flaming lips and the backward-looking psych of the elephant sixers should snap this up...it's all too rare for an album to feel as warm and honest, as creative and human, as "chokin' on the jokes"...sadly, the record was completely ignored by most, and lotus crown has dropped from the radar for now...i hope they haven't given up...i would love to hear more...for now, go grab this and you won't be disappointed..."

Lotus crown "chokin' on the jokes"

Jay | new york | 09/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's a great record,not perfect but straight from the heart."