The old adage of not 'judging a book by its cover' rings true with a group who call themselves Skank Sinatra. Whereas I had not previously known that the group has backed a diverse range of artists from Afro Celt Sound System to The Eurythmics, Dhol Foundation, and Jimster, on their EP CD entitled Barcoded (Part 1), the CD was brought to my attention courtesy of a friend who, while knowing that I possess broad musical tastes, knew that this group would float my boat even though I would be somewhat reluctant just by the name alone. I inspected the CD, looking at it rather cockeyed and thought, 'Oof, what in the world am I about to subject myself to?' Then I noticed that the CD included remixes—sometimes a saving grace—from the likes of Tom Middleton and Shur-I-Kan. My apprehensiveness quickly abated especially when I listened to the first track, "Souls," a Chillout track that provided an excellent, non-ear-splitting introduction to this group.
Not only was the CD not the least bit 'skanky,' but everything I didn't think that I would hear just due to the group's namesake alone, sounded wonderful. There's a bit of everything ranging from Electro to a bit of house, trip-hop, ambient, chill out, lounge, and even some drum & bass. Not bad for an hour and six minute CD.
Further research into this rather odd-sounding group was unfortunately met with some subterfuge but here's what I was able to find out: There are four members of Spank Sinatra and they reside in the UK. There's a Chilean, an Arab, an Englishman, and a Jesus Lover. Oh, and a possible fifth member, a gorilla, who graces the cover of the CD. The Barcoded EP is comprised of seven original tracks and six remixes.
Their MySpace page profiles are tongue-in-cheek British humor yet still cryptic—or trying to be but thankfully their music speaks volumes on many levels that their bios don't or won't convey. Combining warm, electric guitars, the mood is lackadaisical yet you won't get tired of listening to such songs as the second track, "Auto," with its ethereal vocals provided by the one who calls himself the "Spiced Arab." The track has soothing Ibiza-like beats and an electro vibe that set me adrift on memory bliss.
The third track bordered on a combination of rock-infringed down-tempo and trip-hop, in addition to the "Spiced Arab's" warm vocals. The same more or less goes with the fourth track, "Cruise," a mellow tune much in the same vein as the opening track.
A few songs—three to be exact—hover on the cusp of sounding a bit too mish-mashy, combing industrial and electro, a bit reminiscent of Trent Reznor's recent ambient/chill-out compositions, which I liked, however it really didn't put too much of a damper on the fact that the direction Skank Sinatra chose to go, first dabbling in a steady progression of chillout and trip-hop then segueing into Down-Tempo followed by some danceable tracks, the songs that I thought veered off, albeit temporarily, were but minor setbacks as the other ten tracks are quite good.
So while the group's name threw me for a negative loop, initially, part of the discovery of finding a new no-name group is learning that one has to look beyond a name in order to learn the true value, worth and mettle, something Skank Sinatra could very well continue to improve and expand upon with future albums. Definitely check them out!
Stand-out Tracks
Track 2—Auto: Lush, ethereal vocals wonderfully melded with a Lounge vibe.
Track 8—Sun (Olvera Summer Mix): Reminiscent of Peter Gabriel's husky vocals set to soothingly groovy arrangement.
Track 10—How Deep (Tom Middleton Vox Mix): It's time to dance with one of my favorite mixes on the CD. Mr. Middleton shakes things up although not too uproariously but with just the right amount of gusto and fervor.
Track 12—Auto (Shur-I-Kan Mix): An after-hours electro burner combining organic synths and danceable beats.
Released August 20, 2008 on RMD Recordings.
