Girls Against Boys
Freak*on*ica
(DGC Records)

Named on Alternative Press25 Most Anticipated Records of 1998 list, Girls Against Boys had to prove that their switch from favorite indie label Touch And Go to corporate powerhouse Geffen would not change the band.

Well, everyone can sleep more soundly tonight because these four boys from New York City are as noisy as ever. The main difference on this album, besides a better, overall polished feel, is the addition of more keyboards and synthesizers. Some credit for this must be given to veteran producer Nick Launay, who has worked with Killing Joke, Birthday Cake, PIL and Gang of Four — all very influential bands for GVSB. However, most of the credit for the way the album rocks out can be given to the band, which signed a contract that gave it complete creative control and even did all of the negotiating without a manager.

On Freak*on*ica, hard-driving guitar, rumbling bass and thundering drums lay the foundation for a dark, ultra-heavy sound. Scott McCloud's vocals growl seductively with a raspiness comparable to the Psychedelic Furs’ Richard Butler. But the experimentation with keyboards and synthesizers is what really helps to bring the sound up-to-date as the sonic range sways from pulsating trance to funky dance rhythms.

Most of the lyrics lash out against superficial commercialism like on "Vogue Thing," McCloud sings, "Gucci Forever/ I don’t care what’s real." This apparent anger at corporations is partly ironic as the album’s first single, "Park Avenue," will soon hit MTV and is destined to be played on heavy radio rotation all summer long. But, hey, sell out, shmell out, not everyone can be a Fugazi. And, does anyone really want to be Fugazi? Afterall, if you don’t like GVSB’s music, at least they’re not bad to look at.

Although the album is not always an easy listen, it sounds good cranked way up. So, when your neighbors start complaining, you can tell them, to quote "Black Hole," "shut the freak up and dance."

Angela Ashman