search by
artist  album title  keyword
trouser press
Home
Reviews
What's New
Trouser Press Magazine
Message Board
Links
FAQ's
Merchandise
Contact Us
 
eMusic
Trial Offer:
25 Free Downloads
XML
 
 

KING SWAMP (Buy CDs by this artist)
King Swamp (UK Virgin) 1988 (Virgin) 1989
Wiseblood (Virgin) 1990

Here's a sad tale of promise quickly squandered. Featuring bass-ace-turned-top-producer Dave Allen (Gang of Four, Shriekback) and fronted by wailin' Walter Wray, King Swamp debuted with a brawny, exciting set of anthemic rockers like "Man Behind the Gun," "Is This Love?" and "Year Zero." If the potential for arena-rock bombast seems high, King Swamp is too much fun to worry about it. By Wiseblood, however, all of the worst tendencies in the band (reduced from a quintet to a trio, still starring Allen) come to the fore. Undistinguished, crass material would be tiring enough, but Wray bellows with the obnoxious panache of Roger Daltrey at his most operatic. Sad.

[Jon Young]
   See also Shriekback