ANDY D - CHOOSE YOUR PERVERSION

I discovered Andy D during a streaming Electric Six concert.  He was the opening act.  I didn't realize it at the time, but Andy D is the rapper on the Electric Six song 'It Gets Hot'.  I love that song!  So I watched his performance and I was completely stumped.  I wasn't sure what to think.  On one hand, he's a sexy bear of a man and he strips during his show.  He got my attention right there.  I was also intrigued by his Electric Six cover.  He played a version of 'Jimmy Carter'.  On the other hand, I thought his music was somewhat juvenile and embarrassing.  Still, when he performs, he loses himself in the music.  I knew I'd be seeing him the next time I saw Electric Six live, so I decided to reserve my judgment until then.

Well, the day finally came and I saw him live at the Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City.  He was amazing!  The show was funny, funky and entertaining from the minute he took the stage to the minute he left.  I had the chance to hang out with him and talk for awhile.  He's nice, intelligent and dedicated to his craft.  I bought both of his albums and he autographed them for me.  My personalized message inside "Choose Your Perversion" is "Let's ride unicorns!"  I loved the experience.  Absolutely wonderful!

Since that night, I've had time to listen to the albums and I'm ready to write a review.  On "Choose Your Perversion" you very quickly realize the music on the disc is quite different from what you heard live in concert.  Andy doesn't come across digitally as magnificent as he does live.  The disc starts out with 'New Addiction'; which is also where the albums title comes from.  Right off the bat, I was shocked.  The music is sparse and sounds like it was programmed on a little Casio Keyboard.  When you think about it, a lot of early rap artists sound similar.  They have those minimal drums sounds you can get on just about any small keyboard.  His flow reminds me of Will Smith back when he was in his Fresh Prince days.  'Rockslow' doesn't change the tempo or add much to the musical diversity of the CD.  The one difference is the inclusion of some drum sounds that were popular with hip hop bands from the 90s.  'God Loves Drunk Chicks' continues the sparse musical arrangement.  There is a nice keyboard motif, but he follows it with a weak line that downplays the intensity you expect.

And then out of nowhere, 'Blow U Away' comes in like a holy roller revival on Sunday morning!  It doesn't do much to improve the beat situation, but it utilizes a guitar sound to create a moody and compelling melody that's quite different from the disc up to this point.  The tune is actually quite good and stands on it's own without relying on adolescent humor or dirty jokes to draw attention.  It's my favorite song on the record.

'Party Werewolf (I Need A Freak)' zaps us right back to that late 80s, early 90s hip hop style.  He even refers to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video.  'Magic Lady' has some updated keyboard sounds, but it's trapped in the ancient drum loop trap the rest of the album has found itself in.  It's not until 'Just Push Play' that Andy seems to break free from those old sounds.  Probably because he relies more on bass drum sounds rather than snares and high hats.  Much more timeless sounding.  There is one bass keyboard line that sounds similar to 'Ice, Ice Baby' by Vanilla Ice.  '2 Inches From Crazy Town' is another old sounding hip hop tune.  'Dirty Boyfriend' has great sounds, but it's still mired in those awful drum tracks.  'Party Nite' is better beat wise.  It doesn't escape the nostalgia of that early rap sound.

Basically, Andy D wrote a record in a style of music he really likes.  And that's cool.  But it doesn't offer anything new or interesting.  Thankfully, his next record shows more promise.  Andy D is great live.  His rhymes aren't always flowing, but he delivers a lot of soul in his performance.  He has some interesting ideas lyrically and as long as he's avoiding cliches, he creates some cool songs.  I think what's missing is access to better electronic instrumentation and a decent producer.  Andy's rap on 'It Gets Hot!' is incredible.  He's got a style, a hook and a look...  Now all he needs is a more original sound.  With the right collaborator, he could have that as well.  And he wouldn't need to take his clothes off to keep people watching.  

I'm glad I bought this disc.  Having seen some of the songs performed live, it's nice to have versions I can listen to at home.  I like Andy enough to keep following him; which is something I can't say for some of the other bands I've seen Electric Six tour with.  I see a lot of potential here and I want to see it go somewhere.  My final words:  IT WAS GOOD,  BUT I WANTED BETTER.

ANDY D - CHOOSE YOUR PERVERSION
01. New Addiction
02. Rockslow
03. God Loves Drunk Chicks
04. Blow U Away
05. Party Werewolf (I Need A Freak)
06. Magic Lady
07. Just Push Play
08. 2 Inches From Crazy Town
09. Dirty Boyfriend
10. Party Nite