Comprised from the members of UK bands Get Human and The Dauntless Elite, British punk trio Big Wow offer a unique branch of wacky power pop, combined with a punk rock attitude. Utilising both a male and female vocalist, as well as adding some vibrant electronic sounds and plenty of catchy riffs, Big Wow offer a short but certainly electrifying album debut.
Firing off the album with the rough, up yours battle cry, “You’re a Boltzmann Brain …now you’re gone without a trace”, followed by a jangly riff and some cutesy female vocals, it was certainly a surprise coming from an album that looks like its sporting a Weezer cover. Upon listening, the album itself revels at being, well, pretty fucking weird. Big Wow present these memorable poppy hooks, accompanied by lo-fi drumming and sugary electronics, that have been tossed in together in with a bunch of abstract alien noise, to form some sort of bastardisation of a few songs. Perhaps the best way that I can describe it, is if you threw a band like Latterman in a blender with a band like The Death Set, while simultaneously watching an old Doctor Who episode, you’d be on the right lines.
Yet, it works surprisingly well! ‘Teamwork Makes the Dream Work’ consists of only eight tracks, yet each one packs their own jarring, yet appealing punch. Ranging from 3-chord catchy numbers like ‘Art Without The Pain’ to the more sinister sounding ‘Viva Venom!’ to even the synth-heavy, distorted track ‘These Rumours Are A Disappointment’, each song offers a totally different experience. The aforementioned strange electronic parts pop up in almost every song, and their presence creates a rather unique effect on the yet already alternative song structure. Yet the album’s eccentricity also lies within Big Wow’s lyricism.With weirdly quirky lyrics like, “There’s no X in ecstasy” and “Killjoy scream queen”, Big Wow have created a warped, yet surprisingly cheerful aesthetic, which matches the band’s sound.
However, once getting over the initial individuality of the album, ‘Teamwork Makes the Dream Work’ doesn’t seem to be much more than a particularly interesting oddity. The peculiarity of the album is what makes it so unique, yet once that feeling wears off, it’s doubtful that many people will return for a repeated listen. Not that I’m saying it isn’t enjoyable, it’s just while the sound of the album, in combination with the overall short length of the record, fails to maintain much staying power.
But honestly, ‘Teamwork Makes The Dream Work’ is still by all means a fun, if truly bizarre album. As a result, Big Wow have created something that you really should listen to, simply for the experience.
3.5/5
‘Teamwork Makes the Dream Work’ by Big Wow is out now on Specialist Subject Records.
Big Wow links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp
Words by Harry Miller (@HarrryMiller)
