Depending on how familiar you are with Scrap Iron Sun, it may or may not surprise you to see that their latest album title requires a dictionary to decipher. Merriam-Webster defines a kakistocracy as a “government by the worst people.” Given the band’s primary singer and frequent songwriter Scott Cleveland’s often oppositional lyrics, this seems to fit within the band’s Modus Operandi just fine. However, the strange choice of vocabulary also fits right in with the band’s attempts to make you laugh, rather than lecture you.
The album’s title makes sense right from the lead track, Condon’s “Cool Aid.” While the lyrics ride the line between condescension and contempt, the winking delivery makes you feel like you are in on a joke, rather than the butt of it. The guitars and backup vocals both have a bouncy, ephemeral quality that brings the band’s Animals fandom to the forefront.
The following two George Condon-penned songs hit as hard as anything else in the band’s career. “My Love is Missing” features impressive vocals from Aaron Fay, with equally soaring guitar fireworks provided by the trio of Cleveland, Condon, and Frank Cook. It also features some memorably disco-influenced drumming from David Condon. Following this, “Paris is Under Siege” sounds simply relentless, leaning a little heavier into the band’s punk influences than the former. Managing to ride the line between straight up catchy and haunting, the song features a political bent that the band has breached in the past in songs such as “Big Brother.”
The first half of the album also features a couple signature, gritty stompers from Cleveland that bring to mind songs like “Can’t” from their back catalog. The first, “Nothing,” is a paranoid, 3-chord loop that leaves you feeling not unpleasantly claustrophobic by the end. The second, “Hanging by a Thread/You Can’t Win,” features a gritty guitar storm that rises from the ashes of a banging piano introduction that can only be truly described as “unique.” The latter track also features a hard-won optimism in the song’s back third that makes it an uplifting listen.
Sandwiched in between these two numbers, the acoustic “Make Me” provides a melodic counterpoint to the din of the record’s first half. This song features a great lead from Cleveland, as well as ace upper register backup vocals from Condon during the choruses.
The album’s second half starts with a pair of Cleveland’s most memorably caustic and humorous offerings. “Thinking ‘Bout You” is a case study in obsession, with the narrator spending so much time promising not to waste his time on his obsession that the irony creates a playful tension within the hard-charging track. “For Better or for Worse” features a rollicking melody offset by perhaps the most memorable chorus in the Scrap Iron Sun canon. Pianist Bob Casinghino’s loose, masterful boogie playing brims with life – very much unlike the subject of this tune.
Condon’s “Love is a Fool’s Game” and “Girl I Once Knew” introduce us to the album’s final third, which finds the band stretching into new territory. “Love is a Fool’s Game” is a time signature-switching lament that benefits from Condon’s naturally clean, high-register voice and Cleveland’s low chorus harmonies. “Girl I Once Knew” is equally wistful, featuring a surf-style lead guitar that makes it unique and tuneful.
“Friday March 29th” kicks off a standout pair of cuts by Cleveland to close the album. This track immediately stands out due to a mariachi horn section provided by trumpetist Jerry Sabatini. The song features a fantastic array of drumming approaches from Joe Fitzpatrick, helping the song move from staccato verse sections to wide open choruses and intense musical passages seamlessly. This tune is a highlight of both the album and the band’s entire collection of work.
The closing “Talmadge Callahan” reminds us of the band’s love of the Moody Blues. The song’s syrupy guitar tones and layered harmonies pull you into the unique allegorical tale that has the narrator questioning the potential impact of our lives after falling spell to a unique tombstone. It ends the album on a somewhat restrained yet anthemic note. For a band whose output often feels restless and quirky, tying together a collection of their songs is not an easy task. However, this song lands Antics of the Kakistocracy’s array of moods and styles gracefully.