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THE CARLSONICS
BY ANNIE ZALESKI
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Now that Iggy Pop is back playing with his old mates from the Stooges, it’s hard not to notice the Carlsonics’ resemblance to Detroit’s infamous sons on the DC-based fivesome’s homonymous debut. The rapid-fire guitar riffs and primal energy of "I Dig the Bushwhack" and "Six Second Kayaking" bring to mind Fun House–era Pop; the swampy blooze of "Malaria Drive Through" conjures the more sprawling side of the Stooges (i.e., tracks like Fun House’s "Dirt"). The Carlsonics even nod to Iggy’s later solo work with "Trudge and the Clap Division," a tune that has the stomping, up-tempo swing of "The Passenger." But the distorted clamor comes off as more studied than spontaneous, and too many of the songs bog down in cliché’d lyrics like "That’s rock and roll, I got no soul!" This band are at their best when they depart from the Stooges blueprint on "Tonight We Dine on Fumes," a modish melodic tune that features vocalist Aaron Carlson’s best Mick Jagger impersonation, and "Ice People," a lo-fi strummer that ends in a swirl of psychedelic guitars.
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