A GHASTLY STATE OF AFFAIRS

This is the 15th release for Kentucky's own FRENCH TV and that includes one live release. Starting with that debut in 1984 these guys continue to roll. I only have "The Violence Of Amateurs" from 1999 and "Pardon Our French" from 2004 and I much prefer those two to this most recent release. I consider "The Violence Of Amateurs" to be one of the best Avant albums to come out of the USA. Sure they go in directions that I don't like which is what kept if off my top 50 Avant list but it is a special record. "Pardon Our French" is cool for the covers they do of bands from France but not nearly as good as that '99 record.

So it was interesting putting this latest one on for the first time and promptly popping it out because I must have put in the wrong disc. I haven't done that in a long time but I have no idea the direction the band has been going in the last almost 20 years(haha). But this is different, not nearly as challenging or avant as the two earlier albums I mentioned. Mike Sary the bass player is the one constant when it comes to this band's members. The lineup has changed a lot since 1984. This one comes across as a more mature, almost fancy adult contemporary like what the ECM label promotes. Just not my scene at all. A four piece of bass/guitar/keys/drums with three guests adding flue, sax and violin. The flute leads the way quite a bit as does the sax. The violin as a lead instrument not so much.

Five tracks over 56 plus minutes but it was that 18 1/2 minute opener that really had me scratching my head. There's so much of it that I'm not into like that ECM label vibe after 6 minutes or those high pitched synths for example around 8 minutes in. A lot of flute and piano follow that, classy stuff. A calm late before the music swells after 15 1/2 minutes. Sax is more of the focus on the second track "Baby You Fill Me With Inertia" at over 11 minutes. Not into it after 6 minutes but the rest is okay.

I'm not big on the synths on that third track. Next is "The Mayor Of Ding Dong City" and an interesting native styled rhythm after 4 1/2 minutes. The closer is where the violin gets some attention but it seems like every track on here has parts I'm not into at all. This closer is all over the place it seems.

Despite the humerous picture of the band with cartoon fists and captions of "Bang", "Whak", "Pow" etc. the music here is just too serious. Not my music.