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Artist
Stagger Stagger Crawl
12+ albums
about
My review of Déjà Vu Ultraman Déjà Vu Ultraman is what most CDs sound like before a slick producer steps in and sucks the life and quirks out of them. Don't misunderstand -- this is no demo. Rather, it is a DIY recording made by guys who've been doing this for the last ten years and who therefore know that, at the end of the day, it is the songs, and not the fad they fit into, that matter. There's nothing really different or special about Stagger Stagger Crawl's approach to songwriting, performance or recording techniques, but their music has a peculiar spark that makes it interesting. Maybe it's something to do with the sound of non-looped guitar tracks, which are delivered here with their imperfect, jaggedy bits intact (no ProTools finesse needed here). Perhaps it's the "live" feel and the energy and emotion that accompany the band's abandon. Rich Krolak's voice is certainly something to be desired -- it gleefully avoids the latest indie-rock trends for sugary, "Jimmy Eat World" style uniformity, instead suggesting a Stan Ridgway bark-meets-Lou Reed bite. It's a tip-of-the-tongue resemblance, with dozens of "hey, that sounds like..." comparisons trapped just outside the range of concrete verbalization. On top of all these valuable traits, SSC's ability to turn the obvious into something wonderful that makes Déjà Vu Ultraman a treat. Their ideas and motives are nothing new, but historically, that's the way to do it (think of Beethoven's Fifth, Steve Reich's entire catalog