Paselode: The Taming of the Wasps

Reviewed by Russell Baillie

(Herald rating: * * * *)

It's clear from the debut album from this Wellington quintet that they have already developed quite a schtick.

They stand - in their best opshop clobber, with hats at rakish angles - at a point where garage rock, punked-up country, funk-metal and New Wave intersect.

In local terms, they can sometimes sound like a collision of Head Like a Hole (animal fixation in songs such as Dirty Little Piggy, King Kong and Racehorse) and goodshirt (keyboards all over the place).

And there's some Faith No More art-metal in there, too, especially on the aforementioned gee-gee number and Beeswax. The title track has shades of that band's hit Evidence, as well as stealing a bit of the Commodores' Sail On.

Some songs are a little overstuffed with ideas but they neatly counter that with some relatively straight-ahead numbers such as Upping the Ante, the runaway loco of C'mon Hallelujah, and the leather-trousered swagger of Mr Creepy.

The album offers much proof of a band high on their own creative energy. Taming of the Wasps deserves all the buzz it can get.


Label: Wildside