Something a bit odd has happened with the music of !!!, or, as we know them, Chk Chk Chk. It remains undeniably funky but on ‘As If’ it’s as if…if you’ll pardon the pun…they’ve stopped having the fun they were having on the earlier albums. It is difficult to put the finger on exactly why this is, but the vocals feel a bit too contrived at times. Happily there are a couple of tracks that still funk beautifully, and ‘Freedom’ and ‘Sick Ass Moon’ fall into that category with their elastic bass lines, meandering chords and bouncy beats to go with the falsetto vocal. Overall, though, the whole thing feels a bit flat and devoid of enjoyment. And that’s a line I didn’t ever expect to write.
3 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
{http://soundcloud.com/chk-chk-chk/sets/bam-city-ooo}
