Let's face it, the world is just a better place with The Dandy Warhols in it. Granted, the band's last two releases have been consistent only in their inconsistency, but, the Warhols seem to have awakened from one hell of a hibernation period to release the impressively inspired This Machine (available Tuesday, April 24).
Having spent a couple days listening to the new album, we at The Shit would rank it as the band's third-best record yet, behind Come Down and Thirteen Tales. Not bad company, really, when you think about it. What made those records so listenable was the band's ability to cover a lot of ground stylistically, but to effortlessly tie it all together and create a sonic soundscape with perfect ebb and flow.
Each album since Thirteen Tales, however, showed the band still more than willing to change styles at the drop of a hat, but the songs seemed almost half-finished. You could almost hear the band going "Yeah, the intro to that song will sound great in a thirty-second car commercial."
Of course, the band's bread and butter these days is the money that comes from placing their songs in commercials, TV shows, etc. In fact, the band re-recorded the theme song for the new season of Discovery Channel's TV series "Mythbusters". As for the new album, it sounds like the band got back to crafting a cohesive set of songs that fans could listen to from start to finish. From the throbbing bass intro of "Sad Vacation" to the hypnotically chaotic "The Autumn Carnival" to the fist-pounding "Enjoy Yourself", the album unleashes a delicious 1-2-3 punch, with singer Courtney Taylor switching effortlessly from ethereal whisper to cocky Lou Reed/Iggy machismo in a heartbeat.
Weirdest track on the album? That would have to be their cover of "16 Tons", a song made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford (and familiar to anyone who remembers seeing "Joe Vs. The Volcano" among other flicks). Their version doesn't stray too far from the original, which is pretty weird, but damn listenable .
I really wish the Warhols would consult us before they go to all the trouble of choosing a first single, ("Sad Vacation", for which they've already filmed a video). Our vote would have been for the anthemic "I Am Free", with its iconic Stonesy guitar lick and Jagger swagger vocals from Taylor-Taylor.
Have we piqued your interest yet? If you'd like to hear these tunes yourself, you can do so by clicking HERE. After you do, we think you'll be convinced that this is the best DW record in over a decade.