Chisel

Set You Free (Gern Blandsten)
by Sheril Stanford

If only this disc were a little more consistent, it would be an inspired work of art. There are flashes of pure genius on Set You Free, but right when you sink deep into a sparkling moment of sonic bliss, the moment dissolves into generic pop. It’s sort of like what I would imagine priapism to be like if I knew about those things. It’s hard to really draw a bead on Chisel, but no question they’re at their rock bottom best when they’re thieving openly and voraciously. For instance, the first track, “On Warmer Music,” is what the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” would’ve been if it were written and performed by a bunch of lunatics on leave from the asylum. “All My Kin” riffs Halen-like mad, and if Joe Satriani weren’t so busy showing off, he’d play the pretty little interlude at the conclusion of the four minutes called “Do Go On.” So, yeah, there’s some guitar grandstanding going on. But don’t let that throw you off track. “In Our Time” has a distinctly early ’60s flavor and would make the perfect addition to a Pink Panther movie soundtrack, and “Morley Timmons” is a micro-bit away from being on the soundtrack to the Beatles’ Help!. Maybe it was. Chisel listened to old Beatles A LOT, I’d venture. On “Every Is a Good Trip” (umm… every WHAT is a good trip?), you keep waiting for the “mean Mister Mustard” part… And speaking of stealing, “An Amateur Thief” sounds like the Raspberries meet the Monkees. There’s also a song called “Rip Off the Gift” – stealing is clearly a major part of Chisel’s repertoire. I bet somebody with the right musical past could find a whole mess o’ musical reference points – that’s half the fun. The only problem is, what do you do when the novelty wears off? Well, there’s also some really original stuff; ska-speckled, horn-spattered, bossa nova-tinged tunes, sprinkled liberally with cheesy organ bits. They’re the tunes that will make the long haul, that’ll take you over the hump. Cigarette?