There's only one New Radical, and his name is Gregg Alexander. But just like the eels, who are essentially just frontman E, the New Radicals don't suffer for a lack of talent.
The chosen modus operandi is soul-funk, updated with a '90s indie-rock sensibility. The result is a radio-friendly pop brew, with pretty melodies and catchy choruses delivered in a nasal whine that grows on you. There's some guitar, lots of bouncing piano, and a rhythm section which could and should be better; the drumming follows a boringly straight 4-4 beat on almost all the songs, and the basslines are groovy but unfortunately mixed too low in the mix to really stand out. Still, the invitation to get up and dance is inescapable.
But having said all that, the New Radicals' sound isn't particularly new or fresh, or even especially well-done. Just take a listen to Black Grape, to find out where Alexander's coming from. There's a frenetic vitality to Shaun Ryder and company which comes from them having so much more going on in their songs, that's missing from Alexander's songs.
Still, nothing is free from his sharp wit. An ode to a lover ends jarringly with Alexander asking for "Social Security Number please/Credit card number please/Money please, money please, money please/Soul please" (Mother We Just Can't Get Enough). On Jehovah Made This Whole Joint For You, he makes the most of the attention-grabbing title to spew memorable lines like "It's not that she's anti-American/Although she shot a mayor at nine/He looked just like the Prez on TV/But didn't know in '63 he had died" and "She screams we better start thinking about the ozone layer/While tossing out a styrofoam cup."
But it's the lead single and alternative radio hit, You Get What You Give, and the title track which stand out most. You Get What You Give preaches the power of rock music, while at the same time criticising today's alternative-rock superstars. Alexander names the Dust Brothers, Beck, Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson as "fakes," then proceeds to sing, "Championed by a soulless media misleading/People unaware they're bleeding/No one with a brain is believing/It's so sad you lost the meaning."
Gregg Alexander definitely has an agenda. And, in the end, it's his socially-conscious lyrics which carry the day. The beauty of it is he wraps it up in such a nice, pretty, catchy package, slipping his subversive messages into slick pop songs. You just gotta pay attention to catch it. But the sad truth is that few are likely to get past the New Radicals' un-radical sound, to its radical message, and that would be missing the point.
7
~ Xiao Jinhong ~
Copyright © 1999 Options Publications. All Rights Reserved.
Home Lyrics Discography Reviews Charts Articles & Interviews Gallery Links Tabs Biography