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Review
Blather's Kite's I Broke My Radio

    The album kicks off with the religious satire of "Jesus Disco," one of the band's earliest written songs.  The song's intro features a montage of televangelists giving sermons over one another and proves to provide an apt setting before a groove-ridden passage ensues, while bassist Matt Spade's fantastic lyrics combine elements of dark cynicism, satire and clever wordplay.  "That's All I Said," a favorite of the band's, follows, and with its irresistable grooves, showcases their songwriting evolution.  The guitar parts especially make for great listening!  A newer version of "Piece of Rest" comes next, and sounds more aggressive than ever.  "Moonride," the album's next track, follows the band over somewhat foreign terrain.  The tune, a soulful instrumental featuring beautiful bass melodies and a relaxing thunderstorm motif, proves to be a calm, subtle moment for the band.  "Fishlips," the closer of side one, showcases the band at full throttle.  With thought-provoking lyrics by guitarist Joe Wagner, the narrator ponders over the constraints and fallacies of conformity, assuring the listener "there's so much more outside this selfish world you're drowning in/outside the glass that bends the light and shapes what you believe in."

    Side two opens with the funky "Baggow," titled so due to the onomatopoeia that links the title with the sounds the music, especially the bass and funky guitar, makes throughout the song.  Musician Bill Brickus, a friend of the group's, offers outside lyrics and vocals for the first time ever.  "Roman and the Fatty," a crazy venture into psychedelia, is next, written about an incident involving friend Chris "Roman" Cherubini and his efforts to abstain from "the big ol' fatty."  A rare occurence in any Blather's Kite recording, the next tune, "Solace," offers the only music on the album containing no drums or percussion.  However, Ffej handles the bass guitar and Roman also lends a melodic, feedback-drenched keyboard part.  "Father Me," featuring Ffej's synchopated rhythmic assault, was originally titled "Red Sector B" because the band thought some of the drum parts sounded reminiscent of Rush's "Red Sector A."  The fifth track, "Sleepin' Soul," is the oldest written song on the album.  However, this new, lengthier version contains a soothing seascape of sounds that precedes this emotional take of this classic Blather's Kite tune.  The closing selection, "Five Hours Ago," is a new, remixed version of the original version which appeared on the group's first demo tape in 1993.


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