Illinois - What The Hell Do I Know? (Ace Fu)
3/5
By: Chris Helsen
Bucks County, Pennsylvania must provide fantastic song writing material as non-geographically named four piece Illinois claim to have some 114 demos ready and waiting to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. Either that or there's sod all else to do there. Whichever it is, they have handpicked just 7 for this taster EP / mini LP / whatever, entitled 'What The Hell Do I Know?'
For the most part 'What The Hell Do Know?' is the sound of the 90s alternative US scene, with hazy vocals over a wash of electric guitars and big drums. A song about a lonely and depressed woman, first track 'Alone Again' is a standout thanks to its "Bum ba ba bum ba ba bum bum bum" vocal intro and chiming guitars, while 'What Can I Do For You' is a richer sounding piano led break-up song. 'Headphones' is another 'relationship going wrong' confessional and sounds like a lo-fi modern take on 'Father and Son' not just because of the similar melody but also the conversation tone implied by the echoing backing vocals.
The poppier 'Screendoor' and, in particular, 'One on One' with its joyous harmonies and keyboard breakdown are both reminiscent of Brendan Benson's pre-Raconteurs power pop and prove Illinois have the tunes to break through the alternative weirdness that coats much of this EP. Illinois do have other tricks up their sleeve, though, and diversity comes in the form of banjo led 'Nosebleed', and the Eels-like spoken word backed with tribal drums of last track 'Bad Day'.
Fans of early Flaming Lips and Grandaddy will certainly enjoy Illinois' music and 'What The Hell Do I Know is certainly a record with merit. It is an enjoyable set of Middle American tales relayed with quirky vocal effects and veiled pop melodies. There are, though, a lot of American bands doing something very similar at the moment and Illinois are going to need to dig out a few more standout tracks from all those demos to stand a chance of rising above them all.
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