Search - Ashtray Boy :: Everyman's 4th Dimension

Everyman's 4th Dimension
Ashtray Boy
Everyman's 4th Dimension
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1


     

CD Details

All Artists: Ashtray Boy
Title: Everyman's 4th Dimension
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Ajax
Release Date: 10/21/1996
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
Style: Indie & Lo-Fi
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 791071005710, 791071005727
 

CD Reviews

Just--Wow
bloodandfire | Tucson, AZ United States | 03/02/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)

"I don't write reviews often, but an album this good from a band this overlooked deserves it. I don't suppose that one accidentally wanders into the "Ashtray Boy" section on amazon very often. Perhaps you heard of them by way of the fact that their leader Randall Lee was once a member of the Cannanes. Perhaps you heard that they represent one of the more cutting edge examples of Australian music.



Whatever the case this is just a wonderful, wonderful pop album. The sound on this lp is pretty dang different from any Cannanes album, but Randall Lee has kept his ability to write believable songs that veer from the serious to the absurd without feeling like he takes himself too seriously. There's definitely an expirimental tenor running through the album from the almost Pixie-ish squal of "Corn Jack", to the semi-jazz of "Dromedary Camel." But the prevailing mood on the album is one of relaxation mixed with tension. If you've ever heard early Talking heads or the "Before Hollywood" era Go Betweens music, especially songs like "Second Hand Furniture," then you know the mood I'm describing.



But the highlight of the album is "A Universal Occult," a waltz decrying the bad effects of fast food. It's a beautiful tune, and the more I hear it the more I think that Lee's attempts to try to wean himself off fast food are a metaphor for relationships in general.



After getting this album I went on a tear through most of the rest of their catalog. All of the albums are well worth owning, but I think Everyman's 4th Dimension is their crown jewel."