Electric Six, Flashy

I have a feeling that Valentine was listening to Stevie Nicks when he wrote “We Were Witchy Witchy White Women.” It’s chock full of pagan imagery as the singer relates a tale of being a white witch, hanging out with his “lesbian lover ’til the day we die,” terrorizing children, and having a priestess marry them. There’s even a mention of doves, which I’m sure Nicks would appreciate. The beat is driving, with synth effects and a catchy guitar hook. This is the first song that I would say really sounds like classic E6, while having a distinctive new wave style.

Dick Valentine
Photo © Alicia Gbur

“Dirty Ball” is my favorite track on Flashy, and I’m not shy about saying that it rocks spaghetti. It’s a tighter song than the previous ones, with a very catchy chorus that implies Valentine spent more time on the structure and melody,. It’s about (or inspired by, perhaps) Senator Larry Craig’s misadventures in an airport restroom, and features the lyrics “My stance is too wide for that stall/Are you gonna out me?” It’s really the chorus that takes the cake, but the rapping bridge with the timbales provides nice contrast to the main body of the song. “Put your dirty love in a ball/And bounce it off me,” indeed.

Valentine seems to venture into more mainstream territory with “Lovers Beware,” as it seems somehow softer than his usual work, despite being pretty maxed out volume-wise with guitars and horns and “HEY” vocals. Maybe it’s the chord progression he chooses in the verse, which seems to be a bit more artistic than usual. In any case, the song’s catchy, though it tends to ramble, words and verses piling into each other with scarcely a breath between them.

If you were to play “Your Heat Is Rising” to a friend, they would not be able to tell it was Electric Six until the vocals came in. The song starts with gentle synth chimes and then pops into a reggae-like guitar pattern that reminds me of “The Tide Is High” by Blondie and the verses of “So Lonely” by The Police. If asked what this song was about, I would have to say that it was about someone’s heat that was rising, because that’s about all that sticks in your mind. Valentine sounds like he’s having a lot of fun singing the song, which makes it okay, though.

“Heat” seamlessly leads into E6’s sensitive song about plastic surgery, “Face Cuts.” The music is much more subdued, making the subtler keyboard and percussion touches audible. As in “Lovers Beware,” the chord changes are different, providing a different feel to the song. The guitar solo in the bridge is light and airy, the drums throughout are very groovy, and Valentine’s falsetto is pleasantly on key. A charming tune about making yourself beautiful and therefore, successful.

Electric Six rocking the Roger McGuinn guitar solo? Yes, if you’re listening to “Heavy Woman.” Inspired by a large woman buying candy bars at a gas station, the song is a comment on America’s fascination with being obese. The beat is as heavy as the subject matter, but the organ and solo give it a late 60s vibe. The guitar solo reminds me of the one in The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” in its manic intensity, and the acoustic guitar flourishes throughout are perfectly chosen.

“It is a true nut bracket.”

To fully appreciate “Flashy Man,” you need to acquaint yourself with the delightful teachings of Alexyss Tylor, which serves as the inspiration for the song. (CAUTION: Not Safe For Work!) The flashy man is the fellow who is out to claim as many conquests as possible, “hitting all your walls and working the middle” while keeping his “emotions in a tin can.” There’s some delightful honky-tonk piano and dirty dirty synth sounds locked up in a room with swooping guitars, so be careful. A short but sweet song.

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