(�BLACK BALLOON RECORDS�/ 6-track mini-album)
Norwegian 4-piece We? Oui� they have to be heard!
Formed back in 1996, these guys coolly play �stoner blues rock� and are fronted by charismatic nut-job Thomas Felberg. In the past few years they�ve impressed no end of fans and bands alike, especially Queens of The Stone Age, with whom they�ve played a rosta-full of gigs at QOTSA�s gracious special request - for We are that good.
But they�re no normal blues-rock band and their approach is never by-the-books, as this 6-track release is opened by a brief buzz-sample of one of their ecstatic crowds (�Zu Zu�) before a live version of their �Kickin� loudly and lewdly kicks out from all angles, before the catchiest track in �R n� R.� Which, er, stands for rock �n� roll I�m guessing.
This mini-album is the follow-up long-player to 2002�s acclaimed �Dinosauric Futurobic,� this album trailing something of a trademark tag-line in �Freaks Unite,� as emblazoned across the accompanying booklet that�s the most lavish and exquisite I have ever seen.
The story in the booklet actually accompanies We�s final track here, the deliriously ambitious 14-minute stunner �Freak Capital of The Universe.� Hmmm, could they be referring to their homebase of Oslo?�
Wherever and whenever you hear this you�ll be dumbfounded. Self-dubbing their most extreme musical indulgences as �space rock,� you just have to humour them and agree, gee � these guys really are light years ahead! There�s no other rational explanation for them producing such cool music, with guitarist Don Dons reeling out broodingly heavyweight riffs akin to BRMC�s.
If only these guys were around in the 60�s, they�d have surely headlined Woodstock.
Just when you thought they don�t make psychedelic blues-rock like they used to, wake up and wonder where We came from. 4/5 (STEVE RUDD)
Release Date: September 22nd 2003.
Visit... www.werock.org