by Nathan Cardiff
Come on guys, you already have one of the best band names around, now you gotta have one of the best album titles too? And sure, Something and the Whatevers are built for a good time and their killer sense of humor makes the songs enough to get you cracking up, but these guys can rock the hell out of their tunes and their brand of comedy has a razor’s edge.
From the meta opener “We’re Not Even Trying,” the trio delivers their tongue in cheek tune with directions on how the song is going to play out (“This is the part of the song where the lyrics are just starting and you’re really not sure what you think of them just yet”). In between the laughs though, Something and the Whatevers keep their aggressive rock ‘n’ roll at top notch. The demented cries of fear on “Paranoid Humanoid” are lifted by screeching guitars and frantic keys; the sprint race “Note To Self” lets the drum machine fire off quickly as possible. No time to breath; they’ve “gotta get shit done,” after all.
The sing-songey tempo of “Slacker Blues” is a great ode to apathy (“Cause I’m at war with myself/And it sure feels like I’m gonna lose”) and laziness (“Well I could leave the house today, but that would mean taking a shower”). But like the rest of We Sold Our Souls…, the band twists the knife a little; “Slacker Blues” is also a commentary on isolation and technology use. Something and the Whatevers may seem like partying troublemakers (look no further than “B_d_ss M_th_rf_ck_ng S_ng” & “Bipolar Express”), but they can make you say “Ah-ha!” while listening to their tracks.
Something and the Whatevers have also recently (and excellently) covered Dean Monkey & The Dropouts and The Sluts, and add another artist to their repertoire on the album: Harvey Danger (another killer cover of “Private Helicopter”). And local artists take note: if you want to win your way into my heart forever, be sure to sample Brad Neely’s Wizard People on any song you do (“Good Job, Well Done”). We Sold Our Souls For Wicked Lulz is a helluva lot of fun, but for more than just comedic purposes. Something and the Whatevers know how to rock, even when they make it look (and seem) effortless.
Favorite Tracks: “Paranoid Humanoid,” “Slacker Blues,” & “Good Job, Well Done”
by Nathan Cardiff