"acting so sedated" (!!! - As if)

!!!
As if

Why you'll love it: Non-stop dance party
Why You'll hate it: repetitive, low energy

It's easy for our generation to get way too critical.  I mean, even all this pointless writing I do ends up creating a persuasion in my brain as to what I think some music should be.  If a band strays from that description or anticipation I wrote of them, I may not be as easy to accept when they act otherwise.  It's so easy to consume music these days, and to fall into your little comfort zone, with everything you want at your disposal.  If something doesn't gel right away, it's their problem, because you're just two clicks away from what you know you like.  !!! has managed to get me to stop worrying and just enjoy what they do.

Of course I can't just stop there.  I've got some not so great things to say about their 6th album, As if. That doesn't keep me from enjoying almost all of it, though.  Even at its lowest points, As if has me silently bobbing my head.  THR!!!ER was one of my favorite albums of 2013, so I was hoping their follow up would have me up out of my chair.  Aside from being the two best songs, the early singles, "Bam City" and "Freedom! '15" have rude and spiteful lyrics that led me to believe they were getting their early days swag back.  There is a bit more snark to be found on As if (such as lying about never being to Rio or Spain in "Every Little Bit Counts".  Trolled by Nic Offer again!!), but not enough as I had hoped.  How can I be disappointed though, when the beats on "Ooo" and "Til The Money Runs Out" are so good?

!!! can still write a bad-ass disco song.  The only real problem with As If is that it feels a bit light.  The low-end pitch shifted voice is not all that interesting, and using it to book-end the album dampens initial and final impressions.  !!! plays with the dials a little bit too much on this offering.  "Slyd" sounded great on the last album, but I don't want to hear half a dozen of them.  The instrumentals are groovy, but kill the energy of its surrounding tracks.  A lot of songs on here like "Sick Ass Moon" and "Funk" feel like remix versions of unreleased superior songs.

As If fell quite short of my expectations.  Again, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it.  It may grow on me.  Strange Weather, Isn't It? sure has over the last five years.  Dismissals are easy.  Skipping to the next song is easy.  They're hard habits to break, but !!! is helping me relocate my chill.  I hoped As If was going to knock my socks off.  They're still on my feet, but propped up on the table swaying to the beat, and that's pretty damn good too.