Viva John Rogeaux, author of this favorable album review from
collegiatetimes.com:
Ima Robot’s self-titled debut album shows a promising band
posted: April 01, 2004
By John Rougeux
In the manner of a crazed android trying to assimilate pop-rock of the past 30 years at breakneck speed, Ima Robot has just produced its debut
self-titled record, a 40-minute blitz of distorted vocals, jumping guitars and off-the-wall lyrics.
The melodies created are instantly addictive, and the record’s version of extreme, eclectic, post-modern rock makes it stand out. As such, the lines
on the album are mainly split between fast-as-I-can-sing ramblings and trippy lines that remain high in the register.
Ima Robot’s sound can best be characterized with pressing songs like opener “Dynamite,” “Alive” and “A is for Action.” Here, vocalist Alex Ebert, who
sports a short mullet with shaved streaks down the side of his head, can be heard forcing his insistent voice through the microphone. His high, almost
English-accented sound is so energetic its almost hiccup-y, it seems like he’s got a few extra nine-volt batteries plugged into the back of his head.
Ebert’s lyrics range from the dark to the humorous. On “Dirty Life,” he sings about a love-hate relationship with his sins— while a background voice
repeats “Sex … Drugs … Passion,” Ebert sings “Ooh I can’t get away / My mind’s been up for days / Alright my ghosts are chasing me.” On “Black
Jettas,” Ebert is frustrated about having too many ex-girlfriends who drive certain Volkswagens; “Black Jettas on the attack / She was wearing a big
straw hat / Or was it a different haircut? / Or did she get fat? / I cannot tell, they look the same / Black Jettas are driving me insane.”
Though pretty scatterbrained at times, the words seem like an attempt to deal with personal issues, and here it’s a bonus to hear lyrics that make up
a large part of the album’s force.
Meanwhile, Timmy Anderson on guitar and Oliver Goldstein on guitar and keyboards produce gritty 70s punk-derived power chords. The guitar work doesn’t
focus on solos or subtle ornamentation; instead, the duo makes a huge sound with its brash, heavy-handed punches of distortion.
Joey Waronker on percussion and Justin Meldal-Johnsen playing bass round out Ima Robot’s nearly unrestrained oomph. A couple songs, like “Song #1” and
“Here Come the Bombs,” are so burning it seems the tempo is about to spiral out of control, but the foundation Waronker and Meldal-Johnsen establish
keeps things just on the brink of chaos.
The band does a good job of giving instruments different roles. While the guitars often provide the backbone, other times Goldstein weaves a melody on
the keyboards while the vocals and guitar bounce riffs off each other.
The record actually does take a breath a couple times, with slower numbers “What Are We Made From” (which bears a striking resemblance to Pink Floyd’s
“The Wall”) and “Dirty Life,” which would fit perfectly into a James Bond film.
Ima Robot has relied heavily on sounds from the past to create its own — it’s not hard to imagine David Bowie, the Ramones and U2 as influences.
However, instead of being truly innovative, Ima Robot has created some very catchy tunes that seem cross-dressed from the past.
The band does have a little something for everyone, but its broad appeal has come at the expense of music that remains more true to artists of the
past than it does its present creators.
Nevertheless, Ima Robot’s debut is still worth a listen — you might have just as much fun listening to it as these guys seemed to have playing it. Who
knows, the future might see a slightly more original version of this lively band come out with something we can expect to last for a while.
Band Ima Robot
Record Ima Robot
Release Date September 16. 2003
Release Label Virgin Records
Rating 3 stars out of 5
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