Officer May - Smoking In A Minor
(Ace Fu)
Right of the bat Officer May has two things going for them. One, they effing rock, and, two, they lead of their record with one of their more mediocre tunes. This is a bold move and has the effect of a sucker punch. You already know that these are dudes with big guitar, ready to spaz it up, and then when you pop in the record, your initial response is akin to a shrug. But then, "Big Bang" explodes and knocks you flat on your flabby butt like the sucker that you are (hence the name of the punch).
In what way, you might ask, do they rock? Well, I hate to say it because I think it sells the band short, but, being a professional rock and roll analyst, it is what I get paid the big bucks to do: lay down the cheap comparisons. These guys rock like Nirvana: loose, ragged, raw and raspy. That said, however, there is certainly more to Officer May than, say, the Vines. First, I am talking decidedly about pre-Nevermind Nirvana, when they really let it rip. Second, it's just not that simple.
There is, for instance, the fantastically off-kilter guitar rhythm of "Time is Taking its Sweet Time" which is set dizzyingly against the vocals, and pushed to the point of meltdown. There is the pure adrenaline intensity of "Police Parade" (and the climax of "Fashion"), which plays with the speed and fury of Drive Like Jehu. They even do a respectable slow burn on the aptly titled "Slow Burn."
The thing that is perhaps the most refreshing about Officer May is that there is no sense of "look how smart we are" or "look how fancy we are" (though smart and fancy they may very well be). What Officer May is saying to you through their music is "look how our rock is kicking you right in the nuts" which seems all too uncommon in this young century. No pretense, no hang-ups, just that loud, loud sound with no apologies.
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