November 2001

CD Review
Madame Static

Sitting comfortably between alternative rock and psychedelic electronica is All the Queen's Men. With the help of frequent performances and a few demos, they have been a strong underground band on the Boston music scene for several years, but with the addictive, well-polished sound of Madame Static, you have to wonder how long their self-dubbed "rocktronica" sound will stay underground.

"You Want Me" opens as a fast-paced, seductive number, followed by the slower, eerie "Fit the Dress". "We're the Same" is another slow but sly and hook filled track, built upon a wall of excellent guitar work. The electronic side of things comes well into focus on "Azalaya", an upbeat, dance-inducing number that goes so far as to include what sounds like a pet's squeak toy. "Naha" follows as another elecronic-based number with just a touch of a Middle Eastern sound to it.

All the Queen's Men create a sound that tries to bridge the gap between rock and electronic music. the band has been togther for mare than five years, but they didn't begin to head in the "rocktronica" direction until lead singer/keyboardist/guitarist Christine Zufferey joined the band in 1999 after her old band broke up and this band lost their singer. A native of Switzerland with ties to the techno scene there, Zufferey's voice is one of the major focal points of this album, and her techno background is an obvious influence on the band's sound. The guitar work shines at points as well, such as on "We're the Same", and at others is lost among the whir of electronica. The same could be said for the drumming and bass work. Still, there are definitely elements of both genres present, which is what the band is obviously trying to do. They have a ways to go before they perfect the blend they are working on, but Madame Static shows that they are at least heading in the right direction. -Eddie Fournier

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