MFC Chicken - Solid Gravy (Dirty Water Records)
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| MFC Chicken - Solid Gravy |
Trying to explain the phenomenon
that is MFC Chicken to the uninitiated is tantamount to arguing for the need to
wear to tie with a man who doesn't own a shirt. I would assert, however, that
there is a great need for MFC Chicken in this world than there is for the neck
tie - although I'm sure the band would disagree as they are far snappier
dressers than this humble blogger. This second Long Player from the London
based, multi-national group is not a far stretch from their first but then
again, if ain't broke why the hell fix it? Instead, MFC Chicken have done some
fine tuning and put those months of relentless gigging to good use. The album
opens with a mock advert aimed at bored housewives in need of some greasy,
meaty satisfaction in every sense during the 'Chicken 'Bout You' and we're off.
I hope you're wearing something comfortable.
The first real song of the album
is 'Pocahontas' which starts with a tribal chant that you might have heard in a
1950s Leopard Lodge before Spencer Evoy leads the band through a rock'n'roll
riot that pivots on the line "Pocahontas ain't got nothing on me" -
surely a Disney franchise is only a matter of time? '(Get Outta The) DJ Booth'
will soon be a theme tune to all purist alternative DJs across the land as
Spencer, in between saxophone rasps, sings "I'm digging the sax, I digging
the Pianah but I really want to hear just a little Rhianna....NO!". A band
like MFC Chicken need their own dance craze and 'Voodoo Chicken' is exactly the
tune to start that off as the horns blast low and sexy over the top of some
wild surf guitar courtesy of Mr Alberto Zioli. The storytelling beauty and
humour of 'I'm Her Pet' features a sexual predator enslaving a man in a cage
for her own titillation but in a fun way before 'Hot Friend' goes all
instrumental on us to let the sax wail and the bass take centre stage for a
change.
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| They're modest too... |
Every one of these 14 tracks is entertaining
and infectious with the intention of making you dance until you sweat through
every layer of clothing and no longer care what the rest of the audience think.
'(Show Me The) Gravy, Baby' is a tune to twist to which you'll need to do if
you eat all the food name checked in this little beauty....including mushy
peas. Ironically a band who really heavily on poultry for their lyrical
inspiration, the next song is 'Don't Wanna Talk About Chicken' which features
some spooky, Dick Tracey style guitar notes and shuffling drums until the
chorus kicks in which you can almost imagine John Travolta singing in a deleted
seen from Grease where they visit a chicken shack after winning a drag race.
The sax fuelled 'Well Now' will have you singing along in no time, largely due
to the simple lyrics but also due to the Johnny Cash vibe of the music.
Possibly my favourite track on the album is 'M.F. Sea Chicken' which rolls Dick
Dale, the Beach Boys and a big pile of organ, courtesy of Reverend Parsley, in
to one sexy, brooding lump of instrumental seaside fun with a hint of the
Manzareks about it.
As we enter the home straight,
'Chicken Shack' rolls around to get the hop jumpin' and jivin' as well as
getting them thinking about getting some sticky, greasy chicken on the way home
to soak up all those malt shakes. Evoy's rasping vocals are once again in
evidence on the bluntly titled 'Horseshit' while 'White Leather Boots' shows
off a slightly stalkerish or predatorial side to the band as they keep to the
shadows to follow you home. The album closes with 'Dirty Little Bitch', opening
with some gentle organ and guitar before Evoy gets ever so slightly Springsteen
in his vocal approach and then the drumming of Ravi kicks it up a notch and
we're up for one last spin on the dance floor. The thing with MFC Chicken is
that you could just dance to the music and have a whale of a time and nobody
would mind. But if you want real value for money then you should also take time
to appreciate the clever and often funny lyrics as well as the complete
dedication to a style of music that is so often approximated but rarely
presented in its purist form as it is here. Oh, and if nothing else then you
should at least take a shot every time they use Chicken as a metaphor for sex -
you'll be drunk by the end of the album, trust me.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/MFCChicken
Live Dates:
6th September - Plaza, Quintana Martin Galin