David Garza
made his major label debut in a big, brilliant way -- compared to the almost genteel efforts on earlier albums like
Eyes Wide Open
,
This Euphoria
flat-out rocks. Call it a natural progression, call it what happens when there's big bucks to work with, but
Garza
came up with one of the best
rock
albums of the second half of the '90s. Working with a variety of side musicians and recording at various spots in Texas and elsewhere,
comes on like the strutting, sly love child of
Marc Bolan
Robert Plant
, and
Freddie Mercury
, not to mention their respective bands. Unlike, say, the tedious necrophilia of
Lenny Kravitz
or
the Black Crowes
, though,
wins out on both singing ability and his ear for powerful, catchy material -- and he just sounds a little more engaging and much less full of himself. The opening track,
"Kinder,"
almost misrepresents the album -- the bold,
John Bonham
-esque beat and descending fuzz guitar chords are just fantastic, but there's much more happening on
. On the bold, straightforward tip,
"Slave"
is the absolute winner, something that would have been one of the best
T. Rex
songs ever if that group had done it; it's catchy, strong, and romantic, with a perfect balance of feedback and
's singing strength. Subtler approaches also appear throughout, as with the string arrangements on
"Baptiste"
or the nutty drum machine into full drum punch of
"Discoball World."
The title track is an understated piece of freaky
soul
psychedelia
, with
's electric guitar laying down weird parts in the background behind both shuffling and stronger
funk
beats. Quieter numbers, meanwhile, leaven the impact with no less passion than the louder songs (
"Lost,"
the beautiful
"I Know,"
and
"Float Away"
are particular winners), and compared to his polite
pop
past,
and company sound more relaxed, free, and able to try things out. ~ Ned Raggett