The Oscars--"Death To America" + 2
Bootleg Records 2005
Of all the great bands who've come along in the last several years, perhaps none are as difficult to put a finger on as the Oscars. Their growth as a band on each subsequent release is so striking, you constantly feel like you're listening to an entirely different band. That trend continues on this Death To America 7", but so too does the band's seeming inability to dissapoint in the face of such change.
Side-A is comprised of two songs, "Death To America" and "Lemming." While the Urinals/Leaving Trains influence which runs through all the Oscars' other efforts is here, these cuts possess a greater sense of teeth and a venom in the Dead Boys vein. Both songs chug along at a frantic feeling midtempo and are extremely pissed off. This more straightforward approach may help convert those who haven't quite been able to connect with the Oscars until now.
The second side's sole song "Green River" is a glorious example of punk rock self-implosion. Proving to be the catchiest tune of the batch, this cut is an ode to a serial killer. For those who love the artier end of the Oscars canon, this one will fit that bill nicely, though it's not damaged to the point they usually take things. If there's one sing-along to be found in the band's entire catalog, this is it. Perfect use of repitition.
If you were expecting the no wave angularity of "280 ZX" or the almost sophisticated progression of their American Idol album, you can forget it. Instead, the Oscars have served up a slab of songs here that feels more likely than anything else they've ever put out to click with all the kids who've gone KBD crazy. If anything, this 7" serves as further proof that no matter how much the Oscars mature or morph from release to release, the output is bound to rule. Let's hope this one garners them the respect they've always deserved.
Score this 7" directly from THE OSCARS
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