April 04, 2005

Sunburned Hand of the Man "Sunburned Hand of the Man"

The nature of experimental rock bands often makes them well-equiped to handle live performance. With rhythms that are designed for improvisation and melodies that are open to interpretation, these bands can often sound as good live--if not better. Sunburned Hand Of The Man is a group that's had a bit of attention as of late, and this record--a repressing of a super-limited live performance--is an interesting case. On the four tracks (none of which are titled), you'll find all kinds of styles. Noise, rock, and even a little bit of sexy funk can be heard throughout these songs. They run from the pretty (the epic final track is worth the price of admission) to the pretty horrible (the singing on track two is downright annoying), with very little room in between. On the first track, SHOTM is downright SEXY, with a rhythm that sounds like an unhealthy crossbreeding of Prince and !!!. It's been said that SHOTM is a very frustrating live act, and even though this live record isn't bad, it certainly does give evidence to such a claim. The curious might want to seek out their studio work, but the diehard will love it.

-Joseph Kyle

Artist Website: http://www.sunburnedhandoftheman.com

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