ALBUM REVIEW: Turquoise – Electric Six
Over the last two decades, ELECTRIC SIX have cemented themselves as one of rock’s most prolific bands. To the uninitiated, the Detroit outfit might only be known for a handful of hit singles in the early 00s. But, alongside a seemingly constant touring schedule, Dick Valentine and his band of misfits have been dropping albums at a nigh-on annual pace since their debut. Only in the last couple of years have the band slowed down slightly. While there have been releases, the band’s last record of all original material was 2018’s Bride Of The Devil – although not without its charms, it felt like it could use a little more time in the oven. It’s only natural then that expectations are high for their latest album, Turquoise. Afforded far more gestation time than most ELECTRIC SIX releases, could it be just the refresher the band need?
Although always keeping a firm foot in rock, it’s fair to say that ELECTRIC SIX have flirted with a wide range of genres throughout the years. Everything from country and metal to disco and electro has had the ELECTRIC SIX touch at some point. Turquoise certainly isn’t about to break that trend either, opening with the chilled lo-fi beats of Take Me To The Sugar. A slow-burning but infectiously catchy number, the track could be setting the scene for a slightly more mellow outing from the group. And, at points, that certainly feels like the case. Title track Turquoise musically settles into a relaxed summertime lilt, where warm and clean guitars provide the backdrop for Valentine’s peacefully delivered lyrics of paranoia. Staten Island Ass Squad is another low-key groover, where pulsating bass lines harmoniously clash with soaring mellotron synths, creating one of the album’s best choruses in the process. While ELECTRIC SIX have always dabbled in the laid-back (Your Heat Is Rising and Lucifer Airlines come to mind), these tracks perfect the style with a nice modern sheen.
Elsewhere on the album, the band stray even further afield stylistically. With Born To Be Ridiculed, Valentine leads a country-infused stomp that’s part BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and part JIM JONES REVENUE thanks to its Americana vibes and tinkling pianos. Units Of Time goes full throttle into acoustic strumming and slide guitars, giving a casual barstool bluegrass vibe to a litany of time-related puns, and sibling track Window Of Time sounds like frenetic ballroom swing.
Rest assured though, there’s still plenty for those who prefer their Detroit-based rock bands to… well, rock. ELECTRIC SIX’s frantic razor guitars are still present – in particular, Panic! Panic! and Dr. K have the fuzzy rock tones of the Señor Smoke days, with the latter introducing new wave synths to complement. Later on, Hot Numbers On The Telephone mixes square leads with the sinister dancing of Johnny Na$hinal’s guitars, whereas Skyrocketing brings some power chord chugging and noodling guitar leads into the fray.
It’s varied for sure, but what unites ELECTRIC SIX’s eclectic mix of musical styles is the constant of Dick Valentine and his nonsensical, non-sequitur-laden lyrics. From casual doomsayer to schmoozing machismo, Valentine reels off ingeniously ridiculous turns of phrase with all the easy charm and charisma of a seasoned pro. It takes a certain kind of craftsman to surmise the last few years of global events with lines like, “To think that we used to live in fear of the atom bomb – now we’re ordering our sandwiches from shit.com” (per Turquoise itself). Even on the tracks that feel more like filler, Valentine’s honest comedy will still tempt a wry smile.
Which leads us to Turquoise’s biggest flaw. For all its great moments, at 14 tracks long, there are more than a couple of duds in its ranks. Child Of Hunger is an exercise in metallic drudgery that never quite goes anywhere, The Wheel Finds A Way is a throwaway dalliance in electro-pop, and the riff repetition of Five Clowns grates quickly. It’s hard for cuts like these not to feel like unnecessary bloat when stacked up against some of the other material across the album.
Bumps aside, Turquoise is an enjoyable return for ELECTRIC SIX, albeit less direct than many of the band’s previous outings. It’s a grower that asks you to sit with the songs, with the outfit clearly having taken a more considered approach than before. At points, it feels like a real step change for them, considering ELECTRIC SIX aren’t exactly famed for their subtlety. While rockier numbers keep the energy up, Turquoise’s best moments are the slower, danceable ones like its title track. And while the band are generous with the amount of material they’ve provided us here, you can’t help but feel that a tighter, shorter track-list would give those high points all the more room to breathe. Still, as with all their albums, Turquoise is an entertainingly idiosyncratic smorgasbord of music, filled to the brimming with mock bravado and knowing winks. Over 20 years into their career, it’s clear that ELECTRIC SIX will march only to the beat of their own drums – and the world’s a better place for it.
Rating: 7/10
Turquoise is out now via Metropolis Records.
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