CD Reviews

Boredoms

Super Roots 9 | Thrill Jockey

By JAMES PARKER | March 18, 2008

2.0 Stars

Certain sounds were not made to mix, in my view: a brass section should never be blowing over heavy-metal guitars (the Mighty Mighty Bosstones were pathological recidivists in this regard), and you should never play drums behind a choir. Japan’s Boredoms made a Can-meets-Hawkwind space-rock masterpiece in 1999’s Vision Creation Newsun and rather seem to have been wanking around ever since, as if slightly dazed by that achievement. Rumors, remixes, drum circles . . . Super Roots 9 is a live album, one continuous 40-minute track, of which the main elements are a huge percussion section and (sigh) a choir. It rattles along cheerfully enough, but Boredoms are getting close to new-age gaseousness here, or the vacuous celebratory vibe of the Polyphonic Spree. It’s all a bit Jesus Christ Superstar. Catch them on their current US tour, on the other hand, and it might be a mindblower.

Boredoms + Northampton Wools | Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston | March 29 | 617. 931.2000

Topics: CD Reviews , The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

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