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CD review: Black Helicopter
By Billy Schear
wschear@mscd.edu

Black Helicopter Invisible Jet (Ecstatic Peace!, 2006)

The ’90s spawned the grunge/alternative rock era. Flannel shirts were worn, jeans were torn and everybody had a swinging, lethargic time. All good things must come to an end, however, and someone should get that memo to Black Helicopter.

The melancholy sound of this Boston outfit at first entrances one with a steady beat and low-tuned guitar work. The gimmick wears off quickly, though, and by the third song it’s apparent that melody just isn’t in Black Helicopter’s vocabulary.

The first song on the group’s debut album, Invisible Jet, is a rocking homage to the Buick Electra, the monotone vocals pining for a broken-down automobile that can never be replaced. It keeps toes tapping with a droning background noise reminiscent of an aboriginal chant, and the lyrics show that even if one has a hard time making an emotional connection to a car, it is still possible to feel the pain of someone who does.

From there the music starts to lose momentum, taking a sharp drop in altitude on the second and third tracks. Poorly mixed vocals painfully attempt to convey passion but fall flat from a lack of any inflection. Monotone delivery works well in some genres, but modern psychedelia is definitely not one of them.

On that note, throughout the album Black Helicopter keeps the ’90s rock tradition alive by aping the sounds of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Retro may be fashionable, but it is hardly creative.

The band’s one saving grace is some innovative drum work, as evidenced in the songs “Casio” and “Talk Out Loud.” The sporadic beats wildly display a genuine knack for experimentation.

Those instances generate the sound of an acid jazz combo improvising with carefree abandon. Unfortunately, they come too few and far between to leave a lasting impression.

The fact is that Black Helicopter’s sound is tired, but in a business of recurring themes, they might have a shot. However, there are too many of their kind to allow them to stand out. They tried to find a voice of their own and should be commended for it, but in the end, running on fumes of mediocrity will all but ensure this chopper never makes it off the ground.