Last year, "Me & Giuliani Down By The School Yard (A True Story)" – the UK debut single from ! – came skronking out of nowhere (actually, out of Brooklyn and Sacramento), nine minutes of cowbell clatter, horn squawks and with a phat, pivotal bass line. It was ESG’s "You’re No Good", Tom Tom Club’s "Wordy Rappinghood" and Liquid Liquid’s seminal "Cavern" all rolled into one epic groove, then corrupted in a way that only seven house-literate Americans could manage. Both fearsomely controlled and wildly uninhibited, this slice of fidgety, white funk fitted right into the New York ‘scene’ alongside The Rapture, Liars, Radio 4 and LCD Soundsystem.
So, does their UK debut LP find ! still surfing the punk-funk Zeitgeist? Or have they been washed up on the shores of fashion, alongside the swollen corpses of their subsequent soundalikes? Happily, neither. "Louden Up Now" proves that ! have the vision to protect them from the contrary dictates of ‘cool’ and pitches sufficient curve balls to carry them the long-playing distance. Old loves Liquid Liquid, ESG and A Certain Ratio haven’t been abandoned and their percussionist still works overtime, but the spirits of Prince, Kraftwerk (both on the wryly self-referential "Dear Can"), Chic and even ABC (on the politicised "Shit Scheisse Merde Pt 1") make cameo appearances.
Vocalist Nic Offer’s lowering, sneery baritone is the album’s focus. He swears enthusiastically throughout, whether passionately declaring his indifference over a juddering bass line ("Like I give a f*ck about that sh*t", on "Pardon My Freedom"), or sounding like he’s gasping his psychotic last ("Everybody’s acting like I’m f*cking crazy or something,’ he jabbers on "Hello? Is This Thing On?"). The curious "Theme From Space Island" suggests Edwyn Collins dabbling in dub reggae and confirms !’s reluctance to stick strictly to type.
"Y’all could learn a lesson by losing inhibitions, yeah/losing yourself in the music", Offer suggests on "Me & Giuliani…" Right enough – and "Louden Up Now" would provide a fine set text.
