Eugenius

Mary Queen of Scots (Atlantic)
by Sue Fisher

WOW!! I’ve just been magically whooshed back to 1985! I thought that when I looked out the window, I would see boys and girls wearing neon and parachute pants. Thank Jah, it was only my reaction to the latest offering from Eugenius, Mary Queen of Scots.

Really, when a group’s first album cover has a moo cow on it, and then a promo with very plain packaging, I honestly was not expecting what I heard. Take Gene Loves Jezebel and mix that with Depeche Mode, R.E.M., Buffalo Tom, The Cure and Peter Murphy, and that will MAYBE kind of describe Eugenius. These guys are very diverse musicians with much imagination.

Eugenius are Eugene Kelly, Gordon Keen, Raymond Boyle, and Roy Lawrence. Like most artists, since their first album, 1992’s Oomalama, Eugenius has really polished their act. Their latest oblation, Mary Queen of Scots has thirteen rock/poppy songs, each better than the last. The aforementioned conglomeration of musical styles lends a hand toward the trance-like feel that Eugenius is noted for. Besides this trance thing, there are plodding yet melodic bass lines, high, distorted lead guitar, and “Manchester-y” drums. Add Inspiral Carpets to that list of influencing groups.

Let me get down to the nitty gritty. Eugenius is a happy-go-lucky pop group that has a sound that is pleasant to the eardrums. It’s what I like to call “summer music.” It just wouldn’t be conducive to enjoying a dismal, wintery day. I wouldn’t, however, suggest listening to Eugenius on the T. I zoned out and missed my stop. Talk about trance!