365 Days of Music, Day 24: Harlem Shakes – Technicolor Health (2009)

Yo peeps, Day 24 here.  It’s been a good trip so far and no signs of slowing down.  Let’s keep the momentum going with the speed of Desean Jackson and that means skipping introductions.  Today’s album is Technicolor Health by Harlem Shakes.

Release Date: March 24, 2009

Rating: C

Key Track(s): Nothing But Change Part II, Strictly Game, Niagara Falls

Don’t let the name fool you.  Brooklyn-based band Harlem Shakes are no minute-long hip-hop dance.  Being that wouldn’t be such a bad thing probably, hip-hop is great and dancing is fucking great.  However, they conjure up the furthest sound from hip-hop imaginable and, while some tracks are bound to make you get up and move, it is largely your run-of-the-mill indie-type record.  Scrape a few songs off of it onto your iTunes library and move on to the next.

Let me get right down to those songs that will more than likely make it to your library to be listened to at 2:30 in the afternoon during your post-lunch, near-food coma, Wednesday afternoon at the office.  The album starts off with a pretty loud bang in the first two tracks. 

Album opener Nothing But Change Part II takes on a sort of Broken Social Scene type instrumental feel here.  There is a lot at stake and nothing is out of the question as they string together synthesizers, distorted guitars, and a horn section.  The middle act of the track has a killer sound where it’s almost as if we’re being taken back to the 90s ska days.  Dancy horns are the best man, way better than listening to that slow crap by Chicago or some shit.  Although, no knock on Chicago they have some good songs here and there.  I just like my horns to pack a punch and, on this track at least, these guys deliver.

The second track Strictly Game is the definite winner on the 10-song album.  Lead singer Lexy Benaim takes on a Bob Dylan-style vocal attack, singing personal and hopeful words optimistic for the opportunities a new year brings.  We feel his heartbreak when he sings, “I’m sick of slow rock, I’m sick of quick quips, sick of holdin’ on to nothin’ when I just wanna hold your hips,” because those moments where we just cannot place our faith in anything seem totally reflected here.  Everybody has those moments and he is trying to help us acknowledge them.  The rest of the track balances this cynicism by stating, “this will be a better year,” and, as it takes on an anthemic identity, it can easily become your favorite track for, like, at least a week.  If you are like me then it can be a month.  I have an addictive personality.  Moving on.

There’s those two, and 4th track Niagara Falls which, is a solid piano number that Benaim takes the time to question why he does what he does when he could settle for a life of peaceful trips to nostalgic places.  Outside of these three however there’s not much that the album can offer outside of a bunch of mediocre tracks that sound like the three strong ones, yet don’t rise to the occasion in the same fashion.

It’s pretty much like you are eating a meal and are enjoying your meal up until about the halfway point.  It’s not that the food got bad all of a sudden, it’s that these bites don’t taste as good as the first couple and you are getting tired of eating said meal.  “Technicolor Health” does this in the same fashion and ends up being a mediocre rock record but, like any other mediocre rock record, can be enjoyed or hated by those who indulge in its grooves.  There were definitely a few songs for me, I hope there are for you too.