Review Revue: That Petrol Emotion - End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues

It's been a couple years, but we have here another release from That Petrol Emotion, this time the band's third LP - which, being a third LP, is mostly compared negatively to the second. (And I'd have to check, but I bet that was compared negatively to the first. This is college radio, after all.) As with the last time we discussed this band, some of the DJs seem less than enamored with the political bent of the band - although here they're at least commenting on the music itself, not the cover art.

There are also a couple of comments about Shaft - I don't know if that's a remark on the funkiness of the music, or some other reference that I don't get, not having heard the album, but if this album sounds like it was inspired by Isaac Hayes's genius soundtrack to that film, then sign me up!

Singer Steve Mack, the one non-Irish member of TPE is, as far as I know, still in Seattle singing for Stag. They even had a KEXP Song of the Day a couple weeks ago. Go Steve!

"More of the same. Politics are more up front this time, and there are some fine pop songs, but nothing like their 1st effort. Are T.P.E. on the downslide? Hmmmm. P.S. I think they watched Shaft a bunch."

"That Petrol is funkin' it up on this puppy."

"This pales next to Babble."

"Or [producer] Roli Mosimann saw Shaft a lot . . . "

[Weird drawing that looks like a flag with a face on it maybe?]

"More eclectic than Babble, but still great."

"If this is funk, it's Wonderbread Funk. I miss the harder edge of their earlier work."

"Very funkin'. I love it! Makes me want to dance my . . . well something off! Play it up!"