The New Duncan Imperials
Sticky (Pravda)
With the possible exception of the Beatles’ White Album, the double disc set has long been the target of critical disdain, a sign that the artists involved were getting too big for their collective breeches. Witness the bloated Tusk following up Fleetwood Mac’s classic, hit-laden Rumors or the relatively disappointing Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness coming on the heels of the Smashing Pumpkins’ breakthrough Siamese Dream. There’s a reason for the sneers; a double album (especially in the days of the CD, where one disc can hold the Kinks’ first three albums) has got to be jammed with filler, right? In the case of the New Duncan Imperials, it’s a tough call. The Imps lean toward the novelty side of rock, but their songs are less of the bitingly clever-lyrics variety than the cool-rocker-with-funny-title variety, i.e., “(Don’t Laugh at My) Funny Car,” “Just Another Song About Helmet,” and the paean to confusing foreign instructions, “Remove Bones From Face Before Inserting in Hot Bird.” As such, then, in a sense all their songs are filler, so the more of them the better. The second disc of Sticky tends to sport more variety than the first, with styles ranging from metal-edged to happy pop, but overall, from beginning to end, Sticky is the Imps having a grand old time cranking out tune after tune (after tune after tune … ) of lighthearted, irresistibly simple rockers. (Opal Divine’s Freehouse, Friday, Mar 17, 1am)
This article appears in March 10 • 2000.