Foreheads In A Fishtank

"Yeah Baby Wow"  (Album, 1992)

Some Bizarre

I've got to come clean on this and say I haven't a clue where this is coming from. That it is on the Some Bizarre label ought to be something of a guide but it isn't. For brief seconds the only band it reminds me of is Madness - on acid. This is a strange mix of rock, punk, surf, rockabilly and God knows what else. Most tracks revolve around programmed percussion and guitars, with sampled voices and noises darting in at completely unpredictable angles. Saxophones, funky wah, wah guitars, trumpets, pianos , classical strings and scratching all feature at some point and occasionally all at the same time. The result, for the most part, is a total mess. When you think they have almost got a coherent idea some 180º change in style jerks you into another direction. The only song of any virtue is Blind which only runs for just over a minute and appears to rely heavily on samples anyway. John Peel has been known to spin Foreheads' stuff in the past, but everyone knows there are some well dodgy artists who have gained his support. The punk attitude makes a welcome change from the smiley/corporate dirge of the charts but the finished songs are simply dirge of a different kind. No wonder someone gave this to me for nothing - thanks a bunch Lawrence! 3/10

Rob Dyer