Review of Cash Mattock's CD "21st Century Sleaze"

Cash Mattock: 21st Century Sleaze

God this is a tricky one, so it's going to be really brief. First off because this album contains 17 songs of which describing each ones sound would take me forever (the press release which came with this CD is 4 A4 sheets long!), but primarily because this guy is a bloody nut, and his album hums with this undertone. Lets put it into context of exactly what you are playing with here.

Cash Mattock is a Yank, that is if he is actually human. Which even his accompanying essay doesn't quite give away. Cash plays garage punk, but he also rams his tunes guts full of tasty effects and eclectic dance beats. As he admits "It's a rock artist's perspective on sampling" It works to quite outstanding effect, to pull of this sort of fusion on a concept album is some achievement.

All 17 tracks took 4 years to write and master, but are all the entangled tale of one night out on the rave circuit of Rochester, NY. Predominately spiralling round the love story of Cash and a former girlfriend but with subplots and sinister characters that would make many a scriptwriter drool. From the ecstatic feelings of "Indecision" which speaks of Cash's and his ex amour's first stolen glimpses of each other to the perverse and blatantly dark "Dumping his evil" which documents the raping of his said ex by a secondary clubber who has secretly been obsessing over her all night. Honestly this is car crash music.

"Forgetful days" wraps the whole package up as Cash reflects on a wasted night, the rape of his former lover and the hospitalisation of a close friend. It's all pretty messed up, but at the same time scarily realistic.

His sounds have to be sampled to be appreciated, from laughter samples and crazed harmonica solos to orgasm overdubs, it really is unique. Mental yes, but unique.

• www.cashmattock.com

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