Coolrunnings - Dracula Is Only The Beginning

It’s intensely ironic that Coolrunnings title the opening track on their debut album as ‘Chords’. Such a conventional means of making music; adding A+B+C+C Minor together as a way of creating standard pop sent through several filters. Any sorry soul on the block could put their name to it. It’s an ironic title because this Knoxville troupe are everything but conventional; instead, they practically scour the musical world in order to be the complete opposite of norm-focused.

Take ‘Dracula Is Only The Beginning’’s opening track as a crucial example: What sounds very much like the application of chiptune casually flirts with a dubstep womp, as vocals veer beneath the sound of Avey Tare at his height of lunacy. On paper, it might sound like the opening sequence of an extensive nightmare, whereby, as the title seems to suggest, Dracula sinking his fangs into your bare neck might be the most enjoyable part. But the end result is refreshingly hypnotic; a cacophonous blending of the suitably unsuitable.

For the most part, Coolrunnings speed full steam ahead on their debut, spanning every genre in existence, putting expletives in their song titles and not giving one tuppence about what people happen to think. “Conventional” is a curse-word; at any one time where the band appear to settle into an understandable, recognisable rhythm, the alarm bells seemingly go off and convention is dug an early grave. ‘Thunderbirds’ is a frenetic highlight; half Blade Runner, the other half high-speed car chase. The album’s title track, on the other hand, steers towards the grimiest basement within distance, with chanted vocals mimicking the smoky growl of a rabid dog. ‘Jesse’ might mix Black Lips raggedness with a nigh-on euphoric approach, but that’s not to say it doesn’t manage to stay delightfully weird.

And that’s the crux of this record: Blending chemically explosive elements and making them fit together isn’t as easy as it looks. Few bands bar the Tennessee crew would get away with it. But from the tormenting, staring child that graces the album’s cover, right up to the group’s last prog hurrah on ‘Fort Kid’ (followed by an unexpected screaming wail, it should be added), they remain a charming, productive force, ready to blow your mind whenever you happen to press the play button.