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CD Review: Supergrass - "Diamond Hoo Ha" - they play tonight at the Avalon
Artist: Supergrass
Album: Diamond Hoo Ha
Release Date: 06/10/2008
Label: Astralwerks
Listen to the track "Diamond Hoo Ha Man":
I was a fan of Supergrass when I heard I Should Coco thirteen years ago - In It for the Money, which came out in 1997 was a great psychedelic follow up but I haven't followed them since 2000. Is it just balmy nostalgia then, that makes me like Diamond Hoo Ha - with its very basic and straight ahead rhythms and incredible fuzz guitar? It's what Supergrass does best, what made them a name when they were still teenagers.
While there are some references to the psychedelic sidestreets that Supergrass took in their eponymous 1999 album - some songs have horn sections, and a variety of keyboards, but these are simply embellishments, and not the brooding focus that they became on some of their songs in later albums. This is Supergrass we're talking about though, so even though the guitars are thick and fuzzy punk pop, the songs are all about melody but it's melody with cajones. Diamond Hoo Ha starts out very strong with "Diamond Hoo Ha Man" (listen above), "Bad Blood", and "Rebel In You", things slow down a bit for several songs until the delightfully weird "Whiskey & Green Tea". While all the songs aren't winners, there's enough to know that Supergrass is back on track. Even if you haven't enjoyed _all_ of Supergrass' studio work over their dozen-plus years of existence, it's well-known that their live shows are fantastic, and any of the opening tunes of Diamond... listed above will rock and shouldn't be missed.
Supergrass plays the Avalon tonight with The Morning Benders
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