Chumbawamba
WYSIWYG
(EMI)
By Tricia Boey
In Summary : An eclectic mix of tunes, serving up anti-establishment rhetoric with a snicker.
It's been three years since Chumbawamba, the British anarchist collective, broke into the pop and dance charts with their signature blue-collar pep rally anthem,"Tubthumping,"the tune that made them an international household name.The Leeds-based group in this next effort, their 11th, serves up a different sound to their disco beat and booze-reference-filled predecessor."WYSIWYG"(What You See Is What You Get) is filled with an eclectic blend of tunes, from the country tinged sounds of"Social Dogma"and"Celebration, Florida,"to the demi-lounge styling of"The Health&Happiness Show,"to the popish folk twang of"The Physical Impossibility Of Death In The Life Of Jerry Springer."All the eccentricities of the album, however, are offset by sweet melodies such as on"Shake Baby Shake."The 22 tracks may seem a little long for an album, but the tracks blend almost seamlessly into each other, and a lot of them are mere minute-long interludes.True to their anarchist roots, Chumbawamba jab at just about everything they view wrong with the world today in"WYSIWYG."Aside from Jerry Springer, there are stabs at technological giants ("Pass It Along,""WWW Dot"), and Christianity ("Jesus In Vegas")."I'm Not Sorry, I Was Not Having Fun"is a salute to the Woodstock riots that happened last year.However, unlike Chumbawamba's early indie days where they were delivering more massive potshots at establishments, this album seems a lot more subdued. But then again, maybe you need to lose some of your edge to sell records in impressive numbers.And for a quick final comment, this latest effort is not a similar sequel to"Tubthumper,"and those looking for that in this album will be greatly disappointed.
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