Music Reviews
Artist:
Prinzhorn Dance SchoolTitle:
Prinzhorn Dance SchoolLabel:
DFA
Following on from the two single releases you are the space invader’ and the double A side single – Up! Up! Up! / Harmworthy Sports & Leisure Centre comes the full debut release from the refreshingly raw Prinzhorn Dance School.
Named according to their two protagonists, Tobin Prinz and Suzi Horn, the duo adopt a similar stripped back aesthetic as the White Stripes, however in terms of volume and bombast, they are completely different. There are no guitar chords, no distortion, no frills and no multi-tracked arrangements. This sounds exactly as it was recorded, in a disused chapel, with the minimum of fuss.
It is no surprise that Prinzhorn Dance School were signed by DFA, the label which truly took off once the DIY knowing electro of LCD Soundsystem shuffled into the mainstream. Fittingly, there are shades of The Fall circa Eat Y’Self Fitter in the simplicity of sound coupled with the shouted male/ female lyrics, enabling the colloquial musings to fully stand out in front of the spare musical backdrop.
However, whereas The Fall is all about Mark E Smith’s sharp lyrics and keen observations, Prinzhorn dance School rely on simple shouting of sound bites and disjointed sentences, after a while this starts to grate, and uncool though it is, you long for a song to emerge, a bit more of a tune, something to grab hold of. The album comes across as a great piece of performance art, not necessarily something you are going to want to revisit too often.
