Big buzzy guitars, spacey vocals, hypnotic repetition and a
\ndecidedly European avant-garde vibe\u2026 take Bowie, sprinkle
\nwith Moby (for moodiness and trance qualities), and fold in some
\nJet (for decibels and energy), and you have the latest Dutch treat
\nto make it across the pond, the Netherlands’ own Cafebar 401.<\/p>\n
Led by Tije Oortwijn (guitars, vocals, songwriting, production),
\nCafebar whips up a high-energy concoction full of melody and
\noff-center attitude. “I read a book about your life,” sings
\nOortwijn at one point. “It gave me a headache.” LOL\u2026 and
\nthere’s more where that came from.<\/p>\n
I don’t know if anybody dances to power chords these days, but
\nhaving survived the disco era, I’m intrigued by the possibilities
\nof throbbing numbers like “Something Worth Dying For” and “Full Pro
\nDisco!” (which sounds more like Black Sabbath than Donna Summer).
\nBoth offer flashes of a kind of emo soft\/hard feel that’s explored
\nfurther on tracks like “Lost Without You” and the disc’s first
\nsingle, “I Need To Know.”<\/p>\n
There are also some quiet-and-thoughtful moments captured here,
\nnotably on the piano ballad “Troubles.” But Cafebar more typically
\nprovides the kind of sonic jolt implied by their caffeinated name
\n— not to mention song titles like “Bob Ross On Drugs.” Frenetic,
\nfrothy, yearning, melodic, trance-y\u2026 these are not
\nadjectives you commonly see nested together, but Cafebar achieves
\nthem all along the way.<\/p>\n
In addition to mastermind Tije Oortwijn, the band includes
\nMartijn Masman (bass), Dennis Kleinlangevelsloo (guitars) and Wout
\nOosterwechel (drums), whose names I have included in this review
\nprincipally to try to make you laugh out loud like I did the first
\ntime I read them. (No doubt the Dutch feel the same way about Jack
\nJohnson.)<\/p>\n