thenewno2, EP002

By Paul Casey

Thenewno2‘s EP002 starts well. “Wide Awake” is an addictive opener, showing Dhani Harrison as a convincing front man. EP002‘s combination of meditative rock with electronic concerns works well here, as it does on the Regina Spektor collaboration “Live a Lie.”

Regina Spektor is a divisive talent, and in no short supply of the magic of Quirk. She does well here, proving her ability to go straight-laced and abandon musical jokes for a bit. As a taster of what thenewno2 has in store for the next album, these two songs are encouraging. The other two tracks, less so.

One of my favorite rap outfits of the 1990s was the Wu Tang Clan. A big reason why can be credited to RZA (the razor, hit me with the major, the damage, my clan understand it be flavor) whose beats and crunchy rhymes managed to provide rap with one of its few essential double albums, Wu Tang Forever. It is a shame then, that for as nice as Dhani Harrison’s part is, “Mr. President” is a lyrically stale retread of WMD jibes that felt old five years ago.

“Mr. President” is a limp and lame example of the Protest Song, on par with the political mind featured on Prince’s The Rainbow Children. I guess we are lucky chemtrails go unmentioned. There is barely a point of view on “Mr. President,” beyond the uncontroversial claim that, “Bush was a bit of an arse, wasn’t he? And how about that War, eh? It was SHIT, amiright?”

What is most embarrassing is the extra effort made to ensure listeners, that it is not Barack Obama who is receiving this tepid admonishment, but rather the former bod. Given the state of America and the rest of the world, one would think that there would be more of a point to be made in addressing the standing President. Perhaps this well-worn material simply needed another outing. An establishment soothing anti-establishment yarn? You bet.

A bad mixture of genres and some very uninspired lyrics are the problem here, as thenewno2’s beats and Dhani Harrison’s very appealing vocals start things off on the right track. The more surreal nature of his words work to cover up some of the depressingly obvious point made by “The Americans.”

As an EP though, EP002 clearly shows thenewno2 as a band with many positives, and it would be unwise to make a judgment on one song and its accompanying remix. EP002 is worth your time, even while its political knife cuts like a margarine palm.

EP002 was released on September 27 via HOT Records and is available from iTunes. Check out the band’s website for more information and to stream tracks.