Album review: ELECTRIC SIX – The Human Zoo

Metropolis Records [Released 14.10.14]

Electric Six have been going for some time now, first coming to many people’s attention with ‘Danger, High Voltage’ and ‘Gay Bar’, plus more recently a video with mainman Dick Valentine dressed as Freddie Mercury covering the Queen classic ‘Radio Ga Ha’, which annoyed a fair few Queen fans. Never one to shy away from controversy this album is based on the concept of the human zoo and features all manner of weird and wonderful sounds.

Opener ‘Karate Lips’ stomps (suppsoedly based on a female teenagers karate class) in like an 80’s hair metal beast, then next you have the insanely catchy 70’s disco pomp of ‘It’s Horseshit!’ Imagine ELO jamming with Chic! This can work against the band I guess as they cover so many musical styles in one album, but with an unnerving knack for a catchy melody the listener is soon drawn back again and again. It doesn’t always work though as ‘Gun Rights’ is fairly pedestrian by the band’s high standards.

Listening to ‘Alone With Your Body’ you may think you’d stumbled across a new Tom Jones tune! The vocal phrasing is uncannily like Tom Jones. ‘Satanic Wheels’ delves into melodic rock/AOR territory, whilst I’d challenge anyone not to sing-a-long to ‘(Who The Hell) Just Called My Phone?’ A ringtone and single if ever there was one. This song is classic Electric Six, reminiscent of ‘Danger, High Voltage’.

Electric Six don’t conform to one musical arena and go wherever they feel the music needs to go. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)