Following up their debut album, Chrome Yellow, the trio that calls themselves Kill Me Tomorrow deliver a stunning set of chaos with The Garbageman and the Prostitute. Picking up where they left off, with off-kilter displays of tonality and abrasiveness, Kill Me Tomorrow strengthen the formulas that got them started on the right foot, seeming quite comfortable with that foot stuck in a pothole of jagged rubble.
The songs on this album are propelled by Zack Wentz's slack-jawed singing, sounding like Stephen Malkmus processed through various electronic contraptions. The drumming that Wentz provides, which sounds tribal in its rhythms, combines with the singing to create the hooks the listener needs. It's an attractive feature on this disfigured face. Bassist K8 Wince's background squeals, reminiscent of a pre-menopause Kim Gordon, add an extra boost in the vocal department. You begin to almost anticipate the spirited yelps from K8.
Kill Me Tomorrow's aesthetic is rounded out by guitarist Dan Wise. His dissonant, disjointed melodies provide the crunch and abrasiveness that corrals all the songs. The slinky riffs that Wise comes up with add a dance and elastic quality to the album. "Xerox My Hand" is a prime example of Kill Me Tomorrow's knack for experimental, yet conventional song craft; a balance that is awfully hard to achieve. The barrage of noise leaves little room to breath, but it doesn't overwhelm the listener as much as it mesmerizes. There is a definite symmetry between the songs, stringing them together in a cohesive fashion.
The album is also tied together by the surreal lyrical content. The incoherent tale that is spoken during "7-11" is a good reference point for the band's literal substance. Bizarre events and stories unfold as the album progresses. The words have a tendency to fall by the wayside, due to the frontal assault of noise, but after repeated listens, they begin to garner appreciation.
The Garbageman and the Prostitute is an album full of color, emphasized by the scattered brilliance of the cover art. K8's signature style provides a good visual companion to the music. And if that's not enough, the album comes with a DVD which includes four music videos. The entire package comes together smoothly, quite contrary to the rugged stylistic output of the band.
1. The Best Siren is a Flesh Siren
2. This is a Movie
3. Xerox My Hand
4. Skin's Getting Weird
5. 7-11
6. I Require Chocolate
7. Hot Head
8. Black Shifties
9. Chart of You
10. Age of the Shrug
11. The Garbageman and The Prostitute
12. Tell Me About Your Mother
13. Born to Be Filed
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