interesting . . . veeerrryy interesting

Review Score: (10/10)
As a huge Femmes fan, i, of course, wanted to have every CD from their catalogue, but i was always a little scared about 'New Times'--there's not much to be found about it, and there was always a used copy of it at the CD store where i worked. Never a good sign . . . but, what the hell, i had to hear it . . . and, boy was i . . . i guess surprised. The Femmes are known to be a stripped-down acoustic trio, but on 'New Times,' they experiment with <gasp> electronica and melodic variences that would make Beck stop and stare. The first few songs are typical Femmish: "Don't Start Me On the Liquor" to "4 Seasons" have some great Femmes moments, even though their intros may sometimes sound a little contrived . . . then "Machine" hits. For all you Soul Coughing fans (like me), this'll be a favorite. For anyone else . . . well, give it a couple shots, it's a really cool track of techno-distortion and by far, one of the most disturbing Femmes songs out . . . god bless 'em! The rest of the songs are good, as well--indeed, they're almost more mellow than usual (a la "Good Feeling")--but the overall atmosphere of the album takes a little getting used to. I do recommend it, though, even just to hear "Jesus of Rio," "Mirror Mirror," and "Machine." Those songs sure are good, man, and they reflect quite a complex side of the Femmes even the most dissecting music fan could appreciate.

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• Ugly, UGLY, UGLY!
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