Black Lips: '200 Million Thousand'
From the outset it is evident what The Black Lips are trying to achieve with their fitfh studio album '200 Million Thousand'. Billed as a “celebration of unadorned rock and roll”, there could be no perceived underlying meaning or hidden agenda following such a straight forward statement, and the album does indeed do as it says on the tin. But the question is whether the tin contains an exciting, fresh take on such a coveted genré, or mearly a rehashed reprisal of it.
The very first note of the album portrays everything about The Black Lips, their bluesy guitar riffs and angry sound drawing heavily on the likes of Rolling Stones and The Who. Opener 'Take My Heart' indeed sounds as if it would not be out of place on an early Stones EP, with only Cole Alexander's somewhat lacklustre vocals giving the game away. 'Drugs' also fits the bill of late sixties rock and roll, with mentions of “Plymouth Barracuda's” galore set to simple yet undeniably pleasing blues riffs. Yet at both under the three minute mark, the small pleasure is gone all too quickly. 'Trapped In A Basement' is also fairly self explanatory; Alexander's mournful vocals spread over the much used blues scale, with stretched backing vocals and manic laughing implemented to boot. It works as a song on some levels, but it is hard not to wonder just how much thought has gone into writing it, unfortunately like much of the album.
There are moments, however, that the band manage to discover an extra gear, pulling out songs that realise their potential. New single 'Short Fuse' sticks to the much adored sixties sound, yet with it's upbeat tempo and cleverly intertwined guitar licks it transforms into an extremely effective track. Efforts seem to have also been made to iron out the vocals, and with a distortion driven guitar solo thrown in for good measure, it is not impossible to see the song becoming a radio favourite in the near future. Stomping riffs and some intricate guitar work make 'Body Combat' an enjoyable listen, the echoing vocals lending an almost psychedelic feel to the song. 'Old Man' also leans towards moments of intrigue. Although again simple in it's structure and premise, the mellow guitars and and pulsing bass line conjure images of Californian summers, with tambourine flourishes adding to the picture. 'Don't let the rain wash down your sunny day' provides an apt summation of what is a pleasant, if not terribly inventive, track.
Unfortunately, that is indeed an apt summation of the album as a whole; potential in abundance, severely lacking in ideas. 'Starting Over' provides a perfect example of the problem, commencing with a delightful string jumping riff with drums building up to the verse, only for it to be ruined by some frankly awful vocals. This is again true of 'I Saw God', with beautiful guitar riffs and some spoken word vocals creating an intriguing premise, only for it to be demolished with yet more wailing and some inexplicable and unnecessary digital editing. It is impossible not to feel a great degree of frustration listening to a potentially wonderful song being drained of impact in the space of five or so seconds, and it happens far too frequently throughout the course of the albums fourteen tracks.
It is fair to say that 200 Million Thousand ticks a lot of the boxes it sets out to tick. It is indeed a celebration of rock and roll and it does indeed deliver this with a no nonsense attitude. But what it certainly does not do is mature into anything that has not already been done before, and done considerably better before. Despite its flashes of brilliance, the album leaves a frustrating feeling behind it, as you wonder whether you liked it, or simply that it reminded you of something you've heard and liked before. And when all is considered, it is probably the later.
Words: Dan Grose
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