Rating: 
If you haven’t heard of King Khan in the last several years, you’ve probably been living in some remote region of the world, the Falkland Islands perhaps. Here we are again with another King Khan and the BBQ Show release, the more R&B influenced of Khan’s two monikers. Invisible Girl is precisely what you would expect from the group, but the jury is still out on whether that is precisely what people are looking for from the BBQ Show.
One of the things to love about KK & the BBQ Show is just how much they can throw in a touch of soul into their stomping garage workings. Such an endeavor could create a bit of cacophony, yet they never seem to go that route, always holding back enough to make the group seems like one of the tighteset around. Take “I’ll Be Loving You,” a song that seems better suited for the high school proms of the late 50s. It’s got a great vocal performance, but that beat just makes you shake something fierce. “Spin the Bottle” is somewhat similar, mostly in the nostalgic feelings created by the incessant handclaps.
And we can’t forget the humor that makes Khan and associates such an enjoyable listen. On “Animal Party” the narrator is hosting a party with a roomful of chickens, and yes, there are animal noises mimicked in the openingi moments of the song. Still, the song doesn’t come off as a huge joke by any means, and once you move beyond the silliness of the lyrics and the noises, you get to the heart of a pretty solid song.
Yet there is something that doesn’t sit quite right on this album, at least for this listener. Every song on here is easily considered a good track. They each stand alone on their own individual merits. But, when thrown together amongst each other, they seem to blend in together throughout the entire album. There is a great sound here, but there is very little differentiation in the writing of the songs, so you find yourself lost in the album, trying to find your way out of the mess. Don’t get me wrong, you can listen to this album over and over, time and time again, as I have, but at some point it blends together.
All that aside, this is just another good performance from King Khan and the BBQ Show. Perhaps I’m expecting something entirely new and different, some sort of evolution, but that’s just my dream. Khan has his own purpose on Invisible Girl, and while I might find that it runs together after repeated listens, it doesn’t mean it’s not better than most of what’s out there nowadays.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/King-Khan-BBQ-Show-Invisible-Girl.mp3]
Download: King Khan & BBQ Show – Invisible Girl [MP3]
Slow rolling is now done, though I think we may put up a PYAITK version of FFF8 coverage. FFF9 info is pending and you can recommend artists to the festival honchos.
