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New Releases

Rating Scale: to

Artist:	FAT
Title:	"FAT"
Label:	DV8 Records/A&M
Reviewed By:	David Merrill
Rating:

The story of “Fat” begins in England, London to be exact. It was there, in 1993, that bass and keyboard player, Paul Andrews, quit his band to form a new one with Daniel Woodgate, formerly of “Madness.” Guitarist, Gareth Prosser, was a friend of Woodgate’s brother. He soon joined the band. Drummer, A. D. Rowntree, was available, but they already had a drummer. They used him for vocals instead. The band made the rounds of the London club scene for three years with little success. Their music was hard to classify, with its Rap, Pop, Metal, and Alternative influences. This didn’t sit well with the London club circuit. They decided to move to a new scene in January 1997, when they bought one way tickets to New York. Woodgate chose to stay in England, leaving Rowntree to handle most of the drumming. Soon after the move, they signed with A&M’s DV8 Records, resulting in their self-titled, mostly self-produced, debut album “Fat.” And, by the way, they aren’t fat! The opening track, “Dog,” begins with vinyl scratching. It very quickly moves along with the power of a steam roller. Andrews’ bass work is heavy and hard. His few notes carry the listener along into the Rowntree’s rappish vocals. It reminds me most of “Faith No More” or “Cake,” but “Fat” has an energy all their own. The song ends with the same vinyl scratch and one bang on Andrews’ bass. “Beastie Boys”-like vocals mesh with Andrew’s strong, minimal note bass playing on “Downtime.” Yeah, there aren’t a lot of notes in most of the song, but it has a driving beat and energy that doesn’t quit. The chorus is poppy and infectious. You’ll hear this one on the radio, no doubt. “New Birth” opens with Andrews’ bass and some fireworks sounds. It’s a mix of the heavy, choppy bass riffs that characterize the other two songs and an underlay of Prosser’s delicate, complex background guitar on the chorus. Rowntree sings the chorus over it, “Now that it’s gone/ There’s a place where/ Now that it’s gone/ There’s a new birth/ I didn’t notice/ When it got worse/ Now that it’s gone/ There’s a new birth. . .” This is a truly kickin’ song! “In the Head” is not quite as good as the first three songs. A speeded up “Van Halen”-esque guitar solo joins a racing drum beat in part of the song. The chorus speeds things along, driving the listener to the ending. A sound like “Duran Duran” meshes with “The Beastie Boys” on “Numb.” That sounds impossible, but it works, as “Fat” recovers the ball they fumbled a bit with “In the Head.” The anthemic chorus works too, “This feeling is somethin’ I’d never wish on anyone. . .” Electronica influences “Pull.” It’s a rappy, funky, headbanger of a song. Rowntree raps, “Impressed is what we are. . .NOT!,” but I have to say, I am. Andrews’ bass playing is overwhelming, Prosser’s guitar work is intense, while Rowntree can rap with the best of them. “Never” has some punk influence in the bass playing, as Rowntree Raps over it. However, the refrain seems more pop influenced. This song is more heavy feeling and negative. “And all the things I really want/ Are things that I will never have/ And all the things I want to see/ Are things that I will never see/ And all the things I want to be/ Are things that I will never be/ And all the writing on the wall/ Are words that I will never read. . .” “Alright Already” begins with a soft fade in, immediately broken by loud guitar. The anthemic refrain is gripping and heavy. It becomes a musical assault on the more melodic, poppy parts of the song. The next song, “Easy Chair,” is softer and more melodic. Rowntree’s voice is more whiny and irritating in this song. Even so, it’s a pretty good tune. “Do it Again,” sounded really familiar to me. It took me a while to connect what it sounds like. The tune and pacing in most of the song is a lot like Joe Jackson’s song, “Got the Time,” from his “Look Sharp!” album. But Jackson’s song is tame by comparison. “Fat” takes their song to a totally different place. It’s frenetic, racing from beginning to the end, becoming a heavy metal anthem. “Whatever” starts out with some soft acoustic guitar, moves quickly into some rhyming hard rock guitar, then shifts to a rap section, and finally to its more melodic refrain. “Whatever I have said I’ll do/ When I was in the mood and felt free/ I promise I will try and keep my word. . .” It’s a hodgepodge of a song, mixing an amazing number of genres, and it works! The final song, “What We Do,” is a scratchy rapper, with heavy bass and an ominous feeling. The bass line weaves into the rap and electronica supplies a bit of craziness in the background. “That’s the way to do what we do,” the refrain, slips repetitively into the listeners mind and won’t go away. “Fat” is a great effort by a young band. It’s hard for me to imagine not hearing two or three of these songs on the radio in the coming months. This is definitely a album worth giving a try.

 

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