Review Summary: Naked City’s self-titled release is a hypnotic, delightfully wacky masterpiece that is somehow acutely freeform but perfectly controlled.
Originally conceived by John Zorn as an outfit where he could experiment and toy with the boundaries of music to his heart’s content, Naked City is something of an anomaly. Having had relatively little media exposure (besides the distinction of
Grand Guignol song 'Bonehead' being the only music in Michael Haneke’s 2007 film, Funny Games), the band has nonetheless maintained a strong cult following, mostly owing to their inventive and unique style, not to mention the controlled lunacy of the project’s helmer. This, Naked City’s sophomore release, represents them at their most absurd, their most creative, and possibly even at the peak of their game. In crafting their self titled album, Naked City appear to have found their perfect balance. Somewhere between nonsense and profundity lies Naked City, and they take great pleasure in ***ing with you.
A release comprised of 26 bizarre musical ventures,
Naked City is a pleasant mix of jazz, grind, and hardcore punk, all intricately composed by Zorn himself. The sheer variety in sound ensures that this is one of the most outlandishly schizophrenic albums ever released, affecting a tuneful melody one second, skewering the listener with a twistedly brutal labyrinth of sound the next. The overall effect is somewhat off-the-wall and most definitely demented, but also compulsive and genuinely fascinating. The sound of
Naked City exudes sophistication and sleaze in equal amounts, but conversely, neither of these elements are pervasive enough to leave a lasting effect, instead relying on the idiosyncrasies of the release in order to create a flowing piece of pure genius. Zorn’s style of music may be disorientating for some; whirlwinds of dissonance bookending slick, jazzy interludes. Really, though, it’s nothing more than Zorn’s experimentation taking its’ intended toll on listeners.
Interestingly, for such an avant-garde album as this, the individual elements that compose the experience could possibly be considered a little standard on their own. In comprising all of the present elements though, Zorn is able to uniquely distil each in a manner that feels fresh and original. Unlike the vast majority of grindcore music,
Naked City is not a punishing listening experience. It's stylish and refined presentation underplay the more extreme moments without sacrificing any energy in the process, using the classic elements of the genre to emphasize the album’s more experimental aspects. Similarly, the jazz elements are afforded an edge by being well-implemented into the actual music as whole, and thanks to Zorn’s creativity, the more jazz-driven tracks on the album have their own exuberance that starkly contrasts with the dingy showmanship of the grind. When the two genres meet, the sound fuses into an unholy alliance of suave and cack-handed, being both humbling in it's slickness, but troubling in it's extremity.
The music of
Naked City is aesthetically filthy but somehow alluringly quirky, making use of freeform song structures and unusual instruments (glockenspiel, anyone?). Zorn’s inexplicable re-imagining of the ‘Batman’ theme as well as his jazzy, heavily distorted cover of the James Bond theme show a more down-to-earth approach by the artist, but the tracks in between highlight the results of Zorn’s zany musical experimentation in loving style, the gritty production working admirably with the din of the music. It’s an intellectually changeling work performed through a seemingly paradoxically low-intelligence style. The golden touch is clearly at work again, though, as the conceit of the release perfectly embodies the insanity that fills every glorious second. Once again, the torture garden is open for business. Enter at your own risk
