Firepie

“Crazy as hell” goes a repeated line from the rambunctious “Welcome to Hole,” one of seven songs—and two CD-ROM videos—from Firepie’s latest. It’s an apt sentiment, given the band’s schizophrenic approach—a ska groove here, a metal riff there, some old-style r&b vocalizing peppered throughout. There’s even a country-meets-hard-rock hoedown called (ulp!) “Grandma’s Gangbang Jamboree.” The one constant is Firepie’s dense, multi-textured sound, full of alternately clean and heavily distorted guitars, trumpet, percussion and lots of gang choruses. At his best (“Alarm Clock”), vocalist Ken Mackrel evokes some great, lost soul singer. But knowing how Mackrel can shine makes his lesser efforts (the beginning of “Glory”) all the more difficult to hear, especially when another take or two, each, surely would have fixed things. Nevertheless, it’s a strong effort by a strong band.