My Device - Jumbo Fiasco Format: Album Release Date: 5th Nov 2007 Label: Shifty Disco Rating: This 14 track opus of time-signature warping fun rock deserves a day-glo meddle for services to the ‘Gleeful messing up of things’ club. Whilst the airwaves are filled with the musical equivalent of the ‘ninetofive’, this ‘part-time explorer, full time magician’ of an album is an escapists dream. Listening to opening tracks ‘Love Is A Beast’ and ‘Fountain Of Youth’ it becomes clear that convention is going to mean nothing and you prepare to hold onto this rollercoaster of rock, pop and funk fun.   Straying from the weird-out bass and keys of bands like Future Of The Left to the self-conscious composition style of Bloc Party there is plenty for repeae listens to uncover here. ‘Super Tonio’ sounds like a single in the making with super chirpy chorus with choppy guitars and heavy breakdowns, you just want to rock and roll to it like you have no spine. Never outstaying its welcome ‘Fixxa Uppa’ comes in immediately, steaming in with its heavy rolling drums and dirge guitars, changing the mood on its head like a gothicly stressed Pavement inspired track. Its impossible to keep track, as soon as you get a handle on one passage of a song it goes springing off in a totally unfathomably opposite direction.   There are dissertations that could be written on how many different genres and styles are included on this release. You start asking yourself whether you are actually starting to go a little insane, its like having a little episode listening to this album. It’s day-glo, it’s black as night and its flickering like an unexpected firework. Listen to this album once or 1,000 times back to back and you still won’t have a clue what is going on.   It is great albums like this and the recently reviewed ‘Down I Go’ that remind you that music is really bloody dull these days. Art should really be about people coming along and blowing your mind with a visceral display of the creative mind, which is exactly what My Device have done. Fantastico!

Written by: Keith