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Klaus Nomi by Klaus Nomi

1981, RCA, 10 tracks at 32 min.

For those afraid of clowns, the thickly powdered face of Klaus Nomi may be enough reason to avoid the man’s music. For those unafraid of clowns, though, the general inaccessibility of his work may be prove to be a greater obstacle.

Nomi gained fame as a New Wave experimentalist in the eighties, but died an AIDS-related death at the age of thirty-nine in 1983. He had released two albums by the time of his death, one eponymous and the other titled Simple Man. Posthumously, a compilation by the name of Encore! was released. Perhaps due to his modest discography, the experimental-operatic-new-wave countertenor never quite achieved massive success. But amongst listeners(some of them introduced to Nomi by an episode of the Venture Bros, including myself), he remains a gem in their collections. From his debut, it’s clear why.

With only thirty-two minutes of music on Klaus Nomi, it may seem as if his premier album has little space for articulating artistry. But through a fresh fusion of influences and unique vocals, you’ll find yourself either hating or loving Klaus. If you happen to love the album, you may find your finger constantly pressing the “repeat” button.

At one point, you might laugh at the notion of listening to a shoulder-pad-donning, wide-eyed, slick-haired male vocalist with the vocal range of a prepubescent boy. But once you’ve given Klaus a few spins, you’ll stop laughing and say, “My God…this is the strangest, most beautiful, spaciest album I’ve ever listened to.”

It is difficult to recommend “standout” tracks, as the album is coherent in its excellence. The Gregorian chanting on “Keys of Life” may be off-putting at first, but once it slides into Nomi’s heavily German take on “Lightning Strikes” it’s clear that Nomi has the musical chops to back up his avant garde aesthetic. Pop standard “The Twist” is transformed from light rock and roll into a witchy brew of laughter and strange enunciations. The synthesized anthem “Nomi Song” is even more enjoyable; its sharp, self-interrupting vocals play patty cake with the quick stretches of electric guitar and dated piano.

On “You Don’t Own Me,” Nomi takes Lesley Gore’s classic of female independence and magnifies its message twofold through his German snarl and gender bending adoption of the lyrics. “Who says I can’t play with other boys?” he inquires, and while one’s first response may be to giggle, Nomi seems to mean it. “Cold Song” reveals Nomi’s classical knowledge and ability; his virtuosity here is extra proof of his honesty. A Nominian interpretation of the Twilight Zone seems to pop up on “Nomi Chant,” while urgency and anger are more clearly felt on “Wasting My Time” and “Total Eclipse.” “Samson and Delilah (Aria)” supplies a gentle close to the magnificent work.

Klaus Nomi is one of the most cosmic, ethereal sounding albums that ever resulted from the musical mountain of the eighties. Leagues ahead of other New Wavers’ pop quirkiness, Klaus Nomi is a supreme debut and musical achievement. Highly, highly recommended.

RATING: 5/5

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Kala by M.I.A.

2007, Interscope, 12 tracks at 47 min.

Robert Venturi might have been talking about architecture when he said “Less is a bore,” but M.I.A. adheres to the maxim on her latest (and lavishly praised) album Kala. The motherly follow-up to 2005’s masculine Arular, Kala is a world tour in under an hour.

The first track, “Bamboo Banga” provides Kala with a powerful kick start. “Bird Flu” sounds like a crowded Asian marketplace bursting with activity, while “Boyz” is akin to the celebration that follows on the town commons. And “Jimmy,” a Hindi-disco-tinged Bollywood cover, is infectiously danceable.

“Hussel” (with Afrikan Boy) is simultaneously tropical and frightening, immediate and natural. “Mango Pickle Down River” is the album’s slowest, dredging track. However, the addition of rapping Australian boys is certainly original, and it enlivens an otherwise vapid track.

“20 Dollar” is a superb combination of vocoder effects, rough-edged beats and coarse rapping. “Where is my mind?” asks Maya during the song. One certainly won’t find it on the chaotic, abrasively gorgeous “World Town.” But subsequent track “The Turn” restores some stability and sanity to the listener before moving onto the last quarter of the album.

“XR2” is a marching band with more cocaine than a Victorian medicine shop. Proceeding it is the relatively threatening “Paper Planes,” replete with gunshot sound samples and finger snaps. The previous ten tracks guarantee M.I.A. fuses these sonic curiosities into a near-perfect synthesis. The sendoff track, “Come Around” features Timbaland, and it seems mellow, Rihanna-ish even, in comparison to the volatile energy that Kala embodies.

Despite a mild closing track, and a duet with rapping Aborigine boys that fails to dazzle, Kala is both an impressive effort and success. Sassier than the boozing Amy Winehouse and obviously more danceable, Kala is one of 2007’s spunkiest albums. Drenched in political subtlety and amazingly cohesive diversity, Kala is nothing short of brilliant.

RATING: 4.5/5

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A World Without Zinc by Bass Kittens

Pretension Records, 3 tracks at 16 min.

You know, when I downloaded an EP from an “artist” called Bass Kittens I assumed there would be some sort of whimsical streak present. I was proved wrong by the thankfully-short A World Without Zinc, an EP containing three pieces of utmost unoriginality.

“Mille Feuille” gives a “free-music-that-came-with-the-Flash-template vibe;” and, unfortunately it is the best track here. One has to suffer through the aimless “Lick My Love Pump” for nearly six minutes, and “When We Were the Sun” sounds similarly soulless. But this doesn’t even sound like good production music. It’s poorly crafted techno chock full of cliché. Aphex Twin lite, anyone? No? Then keep on moving.

RATING: 1.5/5

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While "moving" is a word I prefer to use sparingly, I think it can certainly be applied to this tiny masterpiece from Days To Come. Sounding like the sum of human sadness, "Recurring" is melancholic but not meandering, blissful yet bitter, and "moving" without being overwrought. A superb ending to just about any season.

Download "Recurring" from Download.com
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