Kid Creole & The Coconuts – I Wake Up Screaming

By on September 14, 2011

STRUT055CD Kid Creole & The Coconuts – I Wake Up Screaming

The Kid is back! Older, wiser but just as cool as he ever was even if he’s lost his Clark Gable pencil moustache!

It was great to see Mr. Creole on the BBC1′s Breakfast couch this morning in all his finery, even if it was before 9am! 
 
If you were fan of  back in their magnificent prime with their big hits like ‘Annie I’m Not Your Daddy’, ‘Stool Pigeon’ and ‘I’m A Wonderful Thing Baby’ or even in their earlier incarnation of . Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band (along with Coati Mundi and hits like ‘Sunshower’ and ‘Cherchez La Femme’), the thought of  a brand new 2011 album by is something to either fear or go mental over.  Well I’m pleased to report that August Darnell (aka Kid Creole) and his new Coconuts (snigger away) is on top form with I Wake Up Screaming.
 
With a B-Movie golden age shuffle style that he nailed in the 80s, each track finds every one on top form; especially as that ‘everyone’ includes co-compositions and co-productions with Andy Butler of Hercules & Love Affair and the album was mixed by Brennan Green (Chinatown Records and friend of Tim Sweeney) and Lars Nissen (Denmark).
 
If you think this is too good to be true, the disco-bounce-space boogie of ‘I Believe’ is an instant smash and was the early choice of a single with remixes by nu-disco pioneers Faze Action, DC Recording’s Emperor Machine and 40 Thieves.

The style of Kid Creole was as much about the show as the music and you can’t get much more theatrical than ‘Long Live The King’ that is grandiosity pomp that Adam Ant would approve  of (Ant being another 80s icon that can’t lay down but whether his latest return this year will match the acclaim of Darnell and Co is another matter).   ‘Long Live The King’ has got marching drums, horns, chorus chant, exaggerated guitar solo and some sort of harpsichord in the mix and it’s a real ‘plays that again’ track.

And whilst we’re on the back to the future vibe, ‘Verily, Verily, Verily’ harks back to the rhythmic roots of his 80s hits with a hilarious the crème brulee couplet; expect to hear this one drop on ‘Come Dine With Me’.

And so the faux gangster pinches musical genre themes all the way through the 13 tracks with ‘This Is My Life’ being the epitome of where The Doors meets Arthur Russell on a island with Herb Albert up a palm tree.  Have I convinced you yet? 

Darnell’s zoot suit and various stylish hats made him one of the ‘80s’ most unique and recognizable figures and talking of oversized suits and NY legends, ‘Attitude’ has a touch of the about it and I can sense the remixers lining up to get their hungry hands on the knobs – ‘Love Remains’ is another big horn number.

And it’s worth reminding ourselves that Darnell was not only Dr Buzzard but he was also a  pivotal force at ZE Records with Cristina, Don Armando’s Seventh Avenue Band and Gichy Dan (see the review of the Zevolution HERE).

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of the last track as it’s a bit Blondie but back with the big guitar trash (with horn and synths), the Kid rocks out on ‘Rockin’ Out Tonight’ which actually fits in with the current dance underground like Golf Channel’s oddness or over on this side of the pond, Soft Rocks (both being fairly recent guests on Beats In Space on WNYU with Tim Sweeney as was Brennan Green himself). 

In between the mayhem banter between Green and Tim, Brennan said that he thinks this album is the band’s best work since Dr. Buzzard!  I’d go one further and say I Wake Up Screaming is as good as a Dr. Buzzard and Savannah Band album.  Now you’ve heard enough to go out and get this album – the campaign to get Kid Creole as the winner of a 2012 MOBO/Mercury Prize/Industry Award starts here?

Oh yes, nice coconuts indeed.

Reviewed: Kid Creole & The Coconuts – I Wake Up Screaming (Strut) Cat. No. STRUT055CD Release date: 12th September 2011
Tracklisting:
1 Stony And Cory (4:10)
2 I Wake Up Screaming (In The Tropics)(3:37)
3 Somebody’s Got To Lose (3:09)
4 I Do Believe (4:05)
5 Long Live The King (5:16)
6 Verily Verily Verily (4:44)
7 Tudor-Jones (6:36)
8 Attitude (3:31)
9 This Is My Life (4:03)
10 We’re Rockin’ Out Tonight (3:34)
11 Love Remains (4:22)
12 Blow Me Up (3:55)
13 Just Because I Love You (4:29)

Links:
kidcreole.com
www.strut-recortds.com/kidcreole
www.strut-recortds.com
www.beatsinspace.net
http://www.bbc.co.uk 14th September 2011 Charlie Stayt and Susanna Reid with Kid Creole on the sofa this morning to talk about his new album.

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  • Anonymous

    I heard his ‘We’re Rockin’ out Tonight’ and any sceptism I had is out the window. I will be looking forward to hearin this album!

  • Alan

    I for one am seriously sexed up by Kid Creole And The Coconuts. Actually probably just the Coconuts as it goes. But they are back and with a brilliant new album that just rocks. Was worried that it might by a total disaster but really happy to report it really is Kid Creole and the Coconuts. I Wake Up Screaming just me smiling from ear to ear. Brilliant!

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