Prozzak
Hot Show (Epic)
by Jamie Kiffel
Welcome to the zany, power pop world of Simon and Milo, two Canadian characters prowlin’ the world for love. If this disc were a tape, I’d have worn it bald long ago: the blitzkrieg of hop-up-and-downers on this record has had me hooked from the start.
In the form of animé-like cartoons (as www.prozzak.com explains), our heroes Simon and Milo sail the world together, following their mission to find amour. In charmingly smooth tones to woo the ladies, the disc begins with “Europa,” a slick dance club number with synth, techno sounds, and a fantastically haunting hook. From there, the buzzing, bleating “Strange Disease” describes sexual frustration as a type of weird V.D. “My libido’s gone berserk/ now I’m sweating through my shirt… wee ooo, wee ooo!” sings Simon, with the voice of a TV tuner gone crazy. It’s The B-52s meet C&C Music Factory. The hook highlight of the album is “Omobolasire,” the fast ode to a beautiful princess of Nigeria whom Simon fears he’ll never again see, thanks to Nigerian customs restrictions (“they would not let me through/what could I do? Say ‘bye’ to you…”). The song is pure candy pop, so slick and sweet it verges on Neil Sedaka. But even Neil and his “Sweet Sixteen” wouldn’t dare sing about “Shag Tag,” Simon’s hilariously smarmy sex game a la Austin Powers, sung slow and campy. The big Canadian hit on the album is “Sucks to be You,” the tune so many women would love to hear their cheatin’ exes croon. “I wish I could have made you happy, but I’m a bastard,” Simon sings with convincing frankness, all to a dance-happy beat. Ballad-lovers will enjoy bittersweet smiles to “New York City,” about the girl Simon left behind because “I can’t afford to live in New York City/ and she can’t afford to leave.” As rent rises, so does love wane.
Yet even as it thumps and thuds its way toward club circuit success, Prozzak seizes a space between beats to snicker at itself. In a heavy German accent, Milo comically struts his stuff on “I Like to Watch (Milo’s Night Out)” as he raps, “I like to watch, I like they way you bounce, bounce… ya ya, groove n’ move it.” It’s every Euro-club hopper’s worst nightmare come true: Arnold Schwartzenegger delivers come-on lines he wrote himself (i.e. “Do you have papers for being so beautiful?”).
Bumps and grinds and grins and all, Hot Show stands strong as a great pop record or a big belly laugh at the pick-up scene. Pump it up on your own dancefloor, and put the moves on a Eurotrash girl.
(www.myspace.com/prozzak2005)
