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There is something vaguely familiar about the Pillow Queens that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s not like the sound of the local quartet is derivative. Actually, listening to KooKooLegit is like listening to a twelve track homage of all the things that makes one like pure homemade rock and roll. It’s poppy, it makes you move, and, most of all, it’s fun. Even though their name implies that they are a group of self serving lagabouts expecting to be waited on hand and foot, the Queens are the ones who are working hard for the listener. Their cool blend of witty, dark humor and spastic rock and roll is addictively entertaining.
KooKoo Legit is a strong first release from these hometown boys (and girl) that excitedly weaves its way through the catchy sounds of 70’s pop music but remembers to pull in the energized sound of proto-punk groups like Television as well. There’s never a boring moment on this record. Switching between the gruff, southern growl of co-frontman Will Slack and the smooth croon of his partner Duncan Malashock, each track rings with the respective singer’s individual sense of style, but all the songs blend together seamlessly, perfectly held down by the Queen’s strong and distinctive sound. It’s cool, fun pop music with noisy guitar lines, bouncy drumbeats, and an organ that sounds like it stepped out of the recording of “96 Tears.” Drummer Carolyn Cunningham and bassist Eric Loftis admirably control the loose rhythms strummed out by Malashock and Slack , anchoring down the their fast and loose sweeps of the guitar with highly energized, rhythmic stability. From beginning to end, KooKooLegit is a quick rock ride with epic builds and catchy pop hooks that make you want to press play again after the record comes to a close.
With the exception of one song on the record - the slow, psych-infused “Lava Lamp” - the record is filled with driving, deep pounding drum beats and distorted, angular guitar lines. The Queen’s style can be summed up in one of the shorter songs on the record, “Real Cool Head.” Clocking in at a little more than two minutes, this song features Malashock singing deep in the pocket of the drum beat and letting loose a quick build of stacking verses that simultaneously make you rock back and forth in your seat and laugh hysterically at what it takes to have a real cool head. Later on, the energy slows down but the humor stays strong. In “Wild Kingdom,” Slack expresses the complexities of love and relationships to, of all things, the neighbor’s dog named Vittles. If we can learn anything from “Wild Kingdom” it’s that you can’t tell a dog everything - that would be crazy - but you can tell a dog anything, as long as there is an upbeat pop groove underscoring the whole conversation.
Keep in mind one of the beauties of KooKooLegit is that it is fun. Pure and unadulterated entertainment. Maybe that’s what was so hard for me to put my finger on before. When was the last time I heard a record that was fun? I can’t remember. In a time when pop musicians have become overly concerned with how they will be received by the listening community, The Pillow Queens are sigh of relief. Music is fun and KooKooLegit forces us to remember this.
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