Dat Politics
Go Pets Go
(Chicks On Speed)
Listening to a Dat Politics record is truly a unique experience. Although they mix a little bit of pop, a little bit of folk, and a whole lot of glitch and digital production techniques that are sometimes downright stunning, the group really doesn't sound much like anyone else out there. With every album, they've taken small steps in a further out direction in terms of combining vocals and sound, and Go Pets Go is even several beyond their previous release of Plugs Plus.
In addition to the core trio, the group this time works with Tigerbeat6 artist Nathan Michel (who has worked in somewhat similar territory with his two solo releases) on a couple tracks. Basically, this is seriously cracked pop music with sometimes so many things going on that it will make your head spin. The album-titled opening track of "Go Pets Go!" is all sputtering beats and cut-up vocals that mingle with broken-off melodies, snippets of spoken-word, and a load of other stuff. It never really takes off, but teh follower of "This Way" sets somewhat similar sounds (childlike melodies filtered through who knows what) to a more standard beat.
One of the pinnacles of the group very well may be "No Fairytale," an absolutely insane track that has so many things going on that it will take several listens to catch them all. In four minutes the track goes from 8-bit chiming melodies to banjoes to bubble-bobble electronics. Meanwhile, just about every vocal style is run through just about every single filter you could think of. Granted, for some listeners it will simply induce headaches, but there's something about the way that the track progresses and unfolds that makes me want to play it over and over again.
So it goes. The album is a pop release for those who aren't afraid of sheer weirdness and a short attention span. There's a span in the middle section of the release that is easily a batch of the best stuff that the group has ever done, and even though the disc hits a stumble in places, things unhitch fairly quickly most of the time. If you've heard Dat Politics before, you probably know what you're getting into, but if you enjoy electronic pop with a prankster attitude (sorta like what you get on some of the aforementioned Tigerbeat6 stuff), Go Pets Go! should do it for you.
Rating: 7.25
