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Album Review
by SashaS
11-1-2002
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| Mother Goose |
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Mother Goose: 'Junior Magic'
(Soda/Seriously Groovy)
Mother Goose takes you on a flight that is as unpredictable as life itself
Winter time and the living is hard with new music so rare… This one, Mother Goose’s ‘Junior Magic’, has been occupying my attention for a month or so, although the album’s been out in their native country of Finland for good six months. But, it appears that this music is actually perfectly suited for an après-reindeer revolt with Santa Clause joy on sale. Still, there are other fairy-stories…
‘Junior Magic’ starts in a very strange manner, intense, noisy, aggressive and manic on ‘Modest Dreamer’ and it burns macabre from the inside, rising as if a phoenix of imagination. That’s the beauty of Mother Goose because they really do not obey by any rules nor care for clichés but follow their dark hearts. There are moments when they descend to the depths of Nick Cave’s best (should that be – worst?) days combined with Joy Division bleak backing on ‘Village’… That’s the acme of sonic surrealism that really compliments the early days of Pere Ubu or Red Crayola on ‘No Tits’ that is, obviously, about the birds.
Mother Goose hail from Helsinki and have been together long enough to have had records released on variety of indie labels in this country. This trio is so totally into music, and not the obligatory cult of personality, that there are no member names anywhere on the artwork. Instead their take their kind of Captain Beefheart sound-clashing to the level that resembles The Fall but it is never a rip-off. Song elements are deconstructed to feel like, in ‘Girly Magazine for instance, that a cut-up method has been applied.
There is punk-angst in ‘Gekko’, paranoia in ‘Respect’, Goth-ism in ‘Goofy’… Mystery and hysteria are mixed together with artism, noise, nihilism, energy, ‘madness’ and freedom. In part depressing, partly elating, partially euphoric… just like life, actually, in which Mother Goose are creating its own micro-universe. If there is any complaint than it is its length: just over 37 minutes is not enough…
Close friend, Jimi Tenor, is rumoured to be working on future recordings. Can it be more magic? You better believe it!
8.8/10
SashaS
11-1-2002
Mother Goose’s album ‘Junior Magic’ is released 14 January 2002 on Soda/Seriously Groovy
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