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Sunday, May 1, 2016

WorldService Project - For King & Country


WorldService Project are a 5-piece band from London that launched back in 2009. They consider; Dave Morecroft on Keyboards and Vocals, Tim Ower on Saxophone, Raphael Clarkson on Trombone and Vocals, Arthur O’Hara on Bass Guitar, and Harry Pope on Drums. They released their debut album, Fire in a Pet Shop back in 2013 and this year, they released their new album on the label, Rare Noise Records entitled, For King and Country. Now I’m very new to the Rare Noise label and the moment I’ve heard WorldService Project, I knew something special that had come to my ears.

I first heard their music a few days ago on a new episode of Sid Smith’s Podcasts from the Yellow Room and was completely hooked into hearing one of the tracks from his episode. I have to admit, Sid has a very good ear when it comes to playing amazing and unearthed music that have brought my wish list even bigger the size of Mount Rushmore. And I knew that right away, this is something I need to check out, and I went ahead and bought the album and it’s a real kicker!

This is a combination of Experimental, Punk, and Jazz rolled into a gigantic smoothie with a dosage of Jalapeno Peppers and big amounts of Tabasco sauce to make it a spicy smoothie to drink. I love the styles of Frank Zappa, Radiohead, Diablo Swing Orchestra The Music Man, Canterbury Scene, Rock In Opposition movement, and Robert Wyatt. The five-piece really know their stuff when it comes to unexpected and blaring eruptive sounds that is like a battering ram hitting the giant brick wall at the right momentum.

From the blaring sing-along galloping styles of the Spaghetti Western and Musical voyages with unexpected time signatures to Flick The Beanstalk with an epic roar from the horn section. And then it becomes a Free-Jazz midsection instrumental piece before the shrieking record-scratching saxophone that resembles at times Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica and the late great Lol Coxhill.

Followed by the intensive drum section that Harry Pope does as he and Morecroft go into uncharted territory on Fuming Duck, recalling the chaotic beauty they bring as the cavernous and ominous yet spine-tingling chill of Murano Faro brings forth the styles of film composer Danny Elfman as if this could have been used for Tim Burton’s 1989 classic, Batman.

There are some experimental and reverb delay throughout the speed of the tempo of the drumming, water-layered keyboards, spooky horns, and intense bass work gives WSP the jump to light-speed with all the power and energy they bring to the spaceship. Suddenly the mood transforms into an electronic take of both Robert Wyatt, Radiohead’s Kid A-era, Art Zoyd and Present with their approach of the RIO Movement on Son of Haugesund before getting into the mosh pits with a joyful Punk-Jazz Rock twist of a Swing meets Zappa time change that goes to a mid-tempo to all the way fast for a car to 900 miles per hour to Go Down Ho’Ses.

Their homage to Henry Mancini’s Peter Gunn Theme meets obscure jazz-prog group Mogul Thrash which featured John Wetton of King Crimson, is quite an interesting taste and with a darker epic vibe at the very end to show what hell is like, that had my arm hairs go up at the right moment for Chamonix. WorldService Project shows how much they can take the Mancini approach and give it a little twist for some mind-blowing madness that is off the wall! Mr. Giggles is their take of their homage to Faith No More’s Mike Patton and his time with Mr. Bungle.

Wah-wah saxes, the mind inside of an insane person as we see how much crazier and nutty through his insane laugh. I always imagine this could have been used in the Ren & Stimpy short, Space Madness and imagine Ren Hoek going bonkers over the obsession of his love of beloved ice-cream bar. This could fit right with it. And (pardon my French) this the “Holy Shit!” moment that I enjoyed and more is waiting for me.

Requiem for a Worm is the calm after the storm. Tim and Raphael head into a mourning section through the Sax and Trombone, almost to send a chilling yet warmth finale to give a final push of the Worm’s funeral with a beautiful and haunting end that will make you wonder what will happen next.

Again, I’m new to RareNoise Records and Italian guitarist Eraldo Bernocchi and Music nut, Giacomo Bruzzo who are the masterminds behind the label, just put me on a roller-coaster ride with WorldService Project. I have listened to this about six times now and I can’t get enough of this! If you love Punk, Jazz, and the Rock In Opposition movement, then delve into the mind of WorldService Project’s For King & Country.

As the narrator says to begin for Commander Hoek and Cadet Stimpy as they experienced Alien worlds for their space episodes, "Okay Space Cadets! Prepare to hurtle thru the Cosmos!"

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