Review

What I had heard about Black Lips before the current day had to do mostly with vomiting and urinating on stage, people getting naked, band members kissing, flaming guitars, fireworks and even a chicken. And now I find myself listening to a 60’s southern sound pop-rock ballad. Does that match? Not at all. But they don’t care. And that’s probably the magic of Black Lips.

‘I’ll Be With You’ is a two and a half minutes classical rock ballad like the good ones our daddies used to listen to.  The warm rhythmic guitar and the subtle drums (which bring us to mind bands like The Beach Boys) get mixed up with a punky crawling hoarse voice. I guess that’s what they mean when they self-describe themselves as a “flower punk band”.

The second single extracted from 200 Million Thousand comes easy as pie, with a chorus we’ve all heard a thousand times before but that still works. And if it does work, then it must be ‘cause it’s still good, right? Virginia Arroyo

Posted on: April 3, 2009