Boots Made for Walkin'

Put down this paper and go get your grubby little paws on Karate's Some Boots. A three-piece group that could stand being a four-piece, Karate is a shining example of "regressive" jam-based rock--music that gets back to its roots in the jazz and blues styles of the earlier portions of last century, while still retaining the distinct flavor of a "contemporary" guitar-vocals-bass-drums ensemble.

The album opens with "Original Spies," whose slower pace and driving baseline hint at a smoke-filled blues/jazz joint, the kind that offers fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and toothsome servings of collard greens. The nine-tracks gather force and energy with each new song, peaking halfway through with "In Hundreds," and cooling down from there with such aural troughs as "Corduroy."

Sneaking in before the album descends into insignificance, "First Release," has guitarist/vocalist Geoff Farina channeling the spirit of Santana. Sadly, Farina finds it appropriate to open his mouth.

Guitarist Farina, bassist Jeffrey Goddard and drummer Gavin McCarthy can deftly handle their respective instruments, but Farina, as a vocalist, seems to think his lyrics are beyond such conventions as "meter" or "melody." Farina's lilting, distracting vocals are laden with rhythmic abortions such as "When I'm alone/I want to feel like I'm the one getting stoned," and perversions of near-rhyme like "feet" with "leave."

As if that weren't enough, the band seems to have some kind of political consciousness that it expresses in lyrics that would have Zach De La Rocha spewing blood and squirming in a pool of his own offal: "I hear you saying I'm just one kid... we can do what one thousand once did." As a point of interest, it's hard to tell exactly what Farina wants changed.

In short, the only Karate I want to see is Goddard delivering the voicebox-crippling Ultimate Flying Roundhouse Tiger Punch to Farina's throat that would help the band escalate to a level of recognition worthy of their musical talent. I'd settle for a ninja star to his lyric-writing hand, but then I'd miss the art of his guitar work.

Conveniently enough, you can check out Karate for yourself, in as conducive a setting to their music as there ever could be. Bring your popcorn chicken and sweet tea to the Coffee House on East Campus Nov. 8 and settle in for some good tunes. Attendance for freshmen (ahem, first-years) is strictly mandatory.