SPIDERBAIT
GRANDSLAM
by Schizogeny

Far removed from the band's punk, "dick-rock" beginnings, "Grand Slam", Spiderbait's 4th album, is full of pop-inspired songs with nonsensical lyrics. That's not to say the album doesn't delve into its own diversity; "Cracker", the opener, is an electonica-type track, where "King Of The Northern" is back to the old "dick-rock" (My groupies are lining up there / Licking the sweat off my arse / You know I don't like to dance / 'Coz I got hot shit in my pants), "Plastic" is more of the power-pop, and "Glokenpop" is a bubbly, thoughtless song about... well... singing (You can be happy when everyone's singing a song / and think of the cash you can make when they all sing along). Janet sings on even more of the songs on this set, and "Jellybean Drifter", a kind of spooky acoustic tune, is sung by Whitt (Joyce's Hut).

For fans of the hit songs "Buy Me A Pony" and "Calypso", this album will be another success, although those more familiar with the "Shashavaglava" style recordings will once again be disappointed. The standout tracks (in my opinion), "Dinnertime" and "Stevie", are more into the rock-dance music, with Stevie starting off with a little kid's voice screeching "1, 2, 3, 4" and ending in bouts of applause. Well I applaud for this CD too.

9/10

PURCHASE THIS CD @ CHAOSMUSIC - $26.95.