the brian jonestown massacre : zero

Zero, an EP of songs from the forthcoming Bravery, Repetition, and Noise LP, finds the group sounding uncharacteristically tired. On past efforts, the prolific Massacre lent a sense of energetic urgency to the music. Here, however, Newcombe and a group of friends (Newcombe is the sole remaining member from 1998's Strung Out In Heaven) plod listlessly through a set of six warped drone-pop songs.

Newcombe has always sounded most at home writing and singing in the dirty, garage-stomp tradition of bands like the Rolling Stones. On Zero, "Whatever Hippie Bitch" most closely resembles this style, but a lifeless backing and uninspired vocal from Newcombe weigh it down. Similarly, "Let Me Stand Next To Your Flower" could have been a classic BJM rave-up had it not been saddled with a slow tempo and tired singing. Zero sees more subdued vocal performances replacing Newcombe's howls, snarls, and wails of old.

The percussion is another flawed aspect of Zero. The drumming is awkward ("Open Heart Surgery"), muffled ("Let Me Stand Next To Your Flower"), or not there at all ("New Kind Of Sick"). Without strong backbeats or vocals, Newcombe's songs meander, especially in the 13-minute "New Kind Of Sick," which takes the listener nowhere over its interminable length.

The upbeat versions of Zero's tracks performed at the BJM's recent Tune Inn show offer hope for a rebound from this recorded misstep. But as it stands, Zero serves as little more than murky, burned-out come-down music. (Evil) —Jim Laakso

Back to A&E...