Euros Childs “Chops” reviewed

Nigel Morphine mailed me a copy of two CDs today. One album is Euros Childs “Chops” and the other is Richard James “The Seven Sleepers Den.” According to Nigel, these two guys were the main songwriters for Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, a Welsh band that has broken up.

Getting mail and getting new music are both always such a delight. Inside the CD jacket, he wrote “There are approximately 5 good songs on this album and/or 1 or 2 due to differing tastes." This note was referring to the Euros Childs album. Hmmmm…..let’s see. I’m going to write a one or two sentence review of each song on the album and try to guess which songs Nigel thinks are the “good” ones.

Billy Seagull-- a whispering voice that conjures Jim Morrison passed out in a pile of his own puke, singing into the drain. It’s faint, but it sounds like a lullaby he’s singing!
Rating: GOOD

Donkey Island—Upbeat synthesizer romp about donkeys swimming in the sea that sounds like it belongs on a lost episode of The Electric Company
Rating: STRANGE

Dawnsio Dros Y Môr—An acoustic guitar and some Welsh with a dash of the casio and some back up vocals. What does it all mean? Hell if I know. Sounds like the rest of the Welsh songs, but that’s not a bad thing once you get used to it. It’s fun and catchy.
Rating: GOOD

Slip Slip Away—It’s charming that you can’t understand what he’s saying. It’s in English, but it’s hard to tell. I have a soft spot for ESL lyrics. Also sounds like someone in the band needs a few keyboard lessons…or is that intentional? I appreciate the crafted sound of the song as if it’s playing through some kind of tape recording device. You can even hear the abrupt stop of the tape deck. Imaginative, but still a bit too strange.
Rating: STRANGE

Costa Rita --Pretty, little piano song with some harmonies and a casio beat. Quanit little back up flute.
Rating: GOOD

Stella is a Pigmy #1 – A simple 2-line poem set to piano
Rating: GOOD

My country girl—A simple bluegrass type of number with much more intelligible lyrics about a guy in love with a country girl
Rating: GOOD (if country is your thing)

Circus Time—A dark piano song with some pretty strings (violins?) about being and individual and wandering into Circus Time, whatever that is. Very pretty and relaxing.
Rating: GOOD

Cynhaeaf—Another short, pretty and simple song.
Rating: GOOD

Hi Mewn Socasau — Here’s where we flip into full-on ESL mode in what starts with what sounds like pair Asian guys drunk at karaoke trying to cover some Beach Boys song (complete with “Wooooo!” shouts and “Wooooo!” backup singers) and ends in a Jim Morrison cover song. This one could grow on me.
Rating: STRANGE

Stella is a Pigmy #2 - Just a lil’ interlude. Short and very sweet.
Rating: GOOD

Surf Rage – a dramatic number, another slow paino song that floats along on harmonies and a very depressed sounding singer
Rating: GOOD

First Time I saw you –Notably this is the only 8-minutes song on the album. Most other are just under 2 minutes long each (or less). This is the coolest song on the album. It’s multi-layered and hypnotic. It’s simple and not very lyric heavy.
Rating: GOOD

Stella is a Pigmy #3 – Haven’t we done this already? Oh wait, now we’re singing in rounds, one high voice and one low voice. Just as I decide I like it, the song ends at 27 seconds, dammit.
Rating: GOOD

Y Mwnci Drwg [Bonus Track]— Electro pop simulated bongos! Vocally, there is a similarity to distinctive voice of the lead singer of Geggy Tah, and that’s a good thing. Monkey noises are even better.
Rating: GOOD

Where is my Cake [Bonus Track] – Soft accordions are beautiful and so are voices from old recordings. It’s like music from a black and white film. While I’d like this song to accompany that film, it’s not one I’d want to be listening to full-blast as my neighbors walk by.
Rating: STRANGE

Overall the album struck me as unique, quirky and daring. It’s what I’d imagine Shel Silverstien’s music would be like should he ever come back to life in the form of a Welsh singer songwriter. At first listen, it sounds like it’s all over the place. But the more you let it sink in, you realize that breaking free from a particular style is a risk that other bands should seriously consider. There is definitely an active mind and quirky personality behind this album. It may not be driving music, but I think it’d be worthwhile listening to in headphones while drawing or painting or exploring other mind states. Most listeners will get annoyed with the shifting of styles and underdeveloped songs, but as for me, I happen to be a fan of nonsensical strangeness.