Dynasty Handbag – Foo Foo Yik Yik / 2006 Lovepump United / 11 Tracks / http://www.dynastyhandbag.com / http://www.lpurecords.com / Reviewed 29 April 2007

The shrill vocals that start out “Foo Foo Yik Yik” will take individuals a decent amount of time to really acclimate oneself to. The opening track, “In My Dreams”, has compelling instrumentation, with a synthesizer crafting a very eighties style. However, the vocals will be a little grating until individuals can start to hear the nuance present in them. After that, the track is stronger. First impressions are major, though, and hopefully individuals will be starved enough for good music that they will let this disc spin on.

“Break Up Day” is a very smart track, as the fragmented approach to the vocals and instrumentation during this track seem to illuminate the “broken up” nature of the title time. The track is so convincing that it almost sounds as if the disc is skipping. Individuals should listen to Dynasty Handbag as an act that is trying to both be artistic and attempting to create their own sound; with that in mind, individuals will be able to appreciate what Dynasty Handbag is trying to do on “Foo Foo Yik Yik” much easier. Fans of Invader Zim will love the track “I Can’t Wait”. During “I Can’t Wait”, vocals are distorted to the degree that they sound similar to Zim’s sidekick, Gir. The result provides as different of a sound to popular music as what Patti Smith’s seminal “Horses” must have done all those years ago. Again, it will be shocking to hear any of the tracks that Dynasty Handbag placed on this album on popular radio, but I feel as if the band will be much more influential to individuals that will make bands instead of the masses.

The same type of vocal trickery seems to be present during “Fading Away”, but the new-ness of this trick has worn off. Instead of being bold and shocking, the band seems to have found a wall; time will only tell if Dynasty Handbag will be able to come back from that. “What’s Going too Happen” shows that the band can reinvent themselves. The trippy backdrop of the band during this track is so far removed from anything else on “Foo Foo Yik Yik” that individuals will immediately snap back to attention; the band has cut their wheels 90 degrees and removed themselves from the rut that could have kept them throughout the rest of the album. Give it a go if you like performance art.

Top Tracks: What’s Going To Happen, I Can’t Wake Up

Rating: 6.5/10

[JMcQ]