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Guitarists, vocalists and songwriters Shonali
Bhowmik and Michelle DuBois, met at the age of eight, when they
both studied violin. The two practiced together, forming a friendship
that lives on today. After attending separate colleges, they
moved to Santa Cruz, CA together. There, they collaborated on
song writing for a year before Shonali moved to Atlanta to study
law. Michelle moved to Atlanta soon after. It was there that
they decided to form the band "Babyfat," and add a
drummer and bass player to complete the band. They received local
attention when they were included on a local compilation album,
"Amplified." Soon after, they produced their own record,
"Dragons Go Away."
When the new band, with drummer Rodney
Ueberroth and bass player Britta Phillips, signed to indie label,
Velvel, they decided to rename the band "Ultra Baby Fat."
Their debut album, "Silver Tone Smile," recorded at
Easley Studios ("Pavement," Kim Deal), is a raw, garage
energy ridden production. The painted jacket art reflects the
same feeling. Their vocals remind me most of Joan Jett with more
depth, or "February." (AMZ Dec. 1997)
First track, "Twist," has a surf
music feel mixed with an alterna rock, punk sense. The guitars
are layered, creating a garagey thinness. Backing harmonies are
pleasing and unsettling at once, overlaying the music, carrying
forth the uneasy rhythm. I didn't like this song at first, but
it's honest, stripped down nature grew on me. Rumbling bass,
quick guitar strokes and drumming set the frantic tone for "Bent
On." It's a song about a woman's fascination with the "bad
boys" who are "bent on self destruction."
"TCBA" opens with sung "doot,
doots." It has a downbeat, so the "doots" don't
make for an uplifting sound. There's an intentional darkness
here that pulls it away from the bubblegum underpinnings of the
song. Starting off soft, "Plenty" is rather bare, with
only guitar and soft vocal. "Silent for days at a time/
You're looking at the constellations/ You don't know which ones
are mine. . ." The song becomes louder, but returns to its
more contemplative incarnation. A guitar solo follows the second
chorus.
"Salem" rambles along about the
cheap words men use to get women to stay with them. musically
I wasn't thrilled with this one. It has its moments, but mostly
it doesn't work for me. Notes clash to the point where the song
becomes a muddy mass. Clashing even more are the guitars at the
beginning of "100 Watts." It sounds like they're just
tuning up. The main body of the song begins with a cleaner sound.
Then the two effects blend as the vocals begin. It makes for
an interesting mix as voice and guitar notes clash. Clashing
harmonies add to the brew on the second chorus. Appropriately,
the song is about not being able to fit in, but ultimately becoming
comfortable with it.
"Water's" synthesized strings
and opening guitar line present an entirely different sort of
mood. An echoing vocal weaves its way through the musical landscape.
There's a pleasant, calm feeling to this song. "What He
Said" begins with quirky guitar licks. The melody that follows
is just as erratic. Lyrics are unfathomable. "He rubbed
alcohol into his eyes couldn't see his way/ I'm thinkin' it was
his game are his tokens laid alone/ Just what did he want? He
knew it wouldn't last too long/ Hear what he said/ See what he
did."
Twangy guitar and a metronomic beat open
the song "Jonesin'." Disturbing trumpet is joined by
a distorted vocal. Old "B-52's" comes to mind immediately.
The funky bassline is awesome. The repeated line, "Shady
lady," should get boring given the number of times it's
used, but it seems to intoxicate instead, never really losing
its appeal. It's very retro in a good way. "Peacock Throne"
begins with echoed male vocals and sitar, giving the song an
Arabic feel. Bongos and sitar help carry that impression throughout
the song. The foreign instruments help to give the song an element
of psychedelic era "Beatles." There is almost too much
happening in this song, but it works. "Ultra Baby Fat"
brings off an unbelievable number of changes. This pair of songs
are definitely the most impressive on the album.
"St. Augustine" grinds its way
into being with feedback and fast guitar licks. As vocals begin,
it softens and becomes more mundane. But mundane is not something
"Ultra Baby Fat" can live with for long. The feedback
invades at varying intervals. Vocals and backing vocals blend
well. "Stupid" has a simple melody in the beginning.
Power chords invade the simplicity on the chorus. The lyrics
are tough to understand, but there's obviously a painful relationship
here. "It's a matter of fact that some Robin's fly/ It's
a matter of fact that you can make me cry/ Hold your head up,
hold your tongue/ This won't hurt, it won't take too long. .
."
Spacey, echoed guitar lines create the
mood on "Ringside." Lyrics are impenetrable here, perhaps
intentionally, to complement the airiness of the music. Guitar
work on this track is complex and intense. Toward the end, the
song changes completely, turning to no holds barred guitar licks.
It stops abruptly two minutes before the counter ends. One minute
later Shonali and Michelle's voices come on confused, talking
about being too serious. Cacophonous music begins with a guitar
line, rumbling bass and drums. The music gets more and more confusing
as the band adds "B-52's" styled screams and cackles.
The song ends in feedback.
"Ultra Baby Fat's" album "Silver
Tone Smile" was not one of my favorites. There are some
high points to the album, but often the singing is flat. If you
like old "B-52's" or the likes of Tanya Donelly, you
might like the whole album. Otherwise, move on to something else.
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