As if the band name didn't clue you in, Cream Abdul Babar is a strange group. They've never totally won me over, but at the same time I've never truly disliked their work either. And those facts remain the same after hearing this double-CD collection of their early work, which is still quirky heavy hardcore/punk indie noise rock (or something) with a wide range of influences, not to mention eccentric uses of keyboards and trombone. Included are the songs from the band's first full-length ("The Backwater of Masculine Ethics"), the "Buried in Broken Glass" 7", the split 7" with I Guard the Sheep, and a couple of add-ons consisting of a live track and a remix. Now, I haven't heard much of an indie/noise rock thing in their sound before, so these older songs seem to represent a bit of a different slant from the band, and in a sense the slightly less jarring/abrasive approach suits them well. It's certainly not straightforward, but something about a number of these songs is a bit more tangible. There's still a ton of frantic screaming up front, but it's plainly evident that the trombone plays a far larger and more focal role in these older songs, to the point where I can't help but feel like I'm listening to the most fucked up ska band in the world based on the way the horn's role is presented, ha. The writing is sort of all over the place, with caustic and noisy areas that could arguably be tied to the Amphetamine Reptile sort of sound, a few subtle melodies or catchier moments that have more of a punk side than I'm accustomed to hearing from them, and then some. "Shithead" is structurally easier to follow and therefore more memorable; "Morning Hog" surprises with its rocked out chord progressions and punk inflection (an excellent song); "Kelvin" is heavier and darker with a plodding intro of rumbling drums, bass, and feedback; "Hounded" is a slightly more reckless straightforward punk rock tune; and closer "...And Afterwards There's Cake!" is 15+ minutes of complete and total noise: Feedback, random screaming, rumbling distortion, scattered percussion... you know, that sort of thing. A huge change from the prior 13 songs on the debut, that's for sure. The second disc is a little more winding and twisted as a whole (check out the acerbic and disharmonic guitar work in "Todd Space is My Day Job"), but still somehow more concrete compared to where I see the band these days. They were starting to do more central work with electronic noise elements and focusing less on the horns, but the writing itself still hits me more. "Thomas P. Rex" even has a somber sort of new wave/post-punk thing happening!? So strange... but I like it. The Larvae remix of "Dirty Minutes" is fairly creative as well, coming off quite ambient and less structured than possibly expected, holding onto tangible musical elements and atmospheres with tactfully implemented beat arrangements and even a few vocal snippets. I don't have a real problem with the recording. It doesn't even necessarily sound dated to me. It's got a bite to its distortion textures, but the mix is pretty solid and nothing about the actual sound quality bothers me. It sounds about right for something of this nature that dates back almost 10 years or so. The 7"s are a little thinner and not as balanced as far as mixes go, but the sheens that hover over some of the instruments actually add some character to songs like the aforementioned "Thomas P. Rex". The layout is pretty simple, with minimal high contrast artwork and a lot of text, but it looks consistent and I enjoy it. My only minor complaint is that the handwriting styled font used for the majority of the text is hard to read in such compact form, but it still looks good so screw it. Lyrics are only included for the first disc for some reason, and with song titles like "Jennifer Aniston's Pussy" or "Splashing in Afterbirth" it's needless to say that the content is on the strange and abstract side. "There is no time for conversation now I can turn it down the rage is all around these are things that make it happen squeeze you for all you're worth..." When all is said and done I think this look back, which has been quite well handled and does sell for an extremely reasonably priced $10 (I commend that), makes it safe for me to say that I enjoy Cream Abdul Babar's older material more than what they're doing now. I'm still not blown away, and it's still just not something I could listen to all the time, but I find it to me more enjoyable, there's no doubt about it. I think this is the best Cream Abdul Babar release that has crossed my path to date. Not too shabby...
[Public Guilt]
Running time - 1:22:06, Tracks: 21
[Notable tracks: Shithead, Morning Hog, Hounded, Todd Space is My Day Job, Thomas P. Rex]
Public Guilt - http://www.publicguilt.com
