A
Monkey Kong (2000)

review by: Jason Thornberry
Date: 7/12/02

You’re tired of what you’ve been listening to lately aren’t you? I know, because it happens to me every two days or so. I’ve been seeing this
particular album in shops for the past three months, so I grabbed it and plopped it on. No, they aren’t the band doing that cool theme song
to The Sopranos with Tony driving home (that’s A3). ‘A’ are actually an English (Suffolk) kitchen-sink-rock quintet with three brothers, and a penchant for happy, energetic live shows free of moping, or being “epic” through boring, stoned jamming, or making each of your songs at
least nine minutes long so you can ponder the meaning of your belly-button while you wait for the ecstasy to take effect.

The songs here are concise, tight pop ditties that are extreeemely memorable. This is number two (A2?), and they’re using the traditional vocals/guitars/bass/keyboards/drums mixture with samples and loops pinging from one speaker to the other, and great, hooky, sing-along Beatle-esque songwriting and vocal harmonies not heard since Lennon/McCartney or Beach Boys perfected them.

Three-fifths of ‘A’ sing (quite well too), so that helps. While lead vocalist Jason Perry handles the main part of the chorus, sibling Giles Perry or Daniel P. Carter usually provides a Plan B sub-chorus, as the third voice comes in with scatterings of rebuttal counterpoints. This feisty casserole of rawk sounds B-I-G because the production (recorded in Belgium by Al Clay) is so three-dimensional, and the performances are inspired.

Quick comparisons to The Beastie Boys are warranted, but I hear a distinct Superdrag/ Doughboys edge in there as well. I love this cd, even if ‘A’ wishes they were American Snowboarders, and once toured with the Bloodhound Gang. Standout songs: If It Ain’t Broke Fix It Anyway, For Starters, Jason’s Addiction (haha), and Monkey Kong.