There aren’t many lines that can stop a reviewer in their tracks these days, but the unabashed use of “making love to your biscuits and gravy” in the opening verse for CrashMonkeys’ new single “Dangerous” was all it took to make me take a brief pause, small chuckle, and fresh restart on the track. That line almost acts as a concentration for the rest of the song, as it’s goofy, tongue-in-cheek, and yet undeniably well-played and memorable. That seems to be CrashMonkeys in a nutshell, and though this is the only released single from them so far, talk about a great start!
Residing in Santa Cruz and functioning effectively as a trio, though leading man Stel Furet played every instrument save drums on the band’s upcoming Love And Kicks EP, CrashMonkeys isn’t your run-of-the-mill indie band. There’s a touch of something undefinable within the core creative process of the band, be it the fact that it’s all coming from Furet’s head and hands or something else, and even with only a single song out to their name, the band feels ready to rumble with the big dogs. Now, Stel Furet does have a solo career on top of this, so a lot of that honed artistic trajectory could come from working out the kinks in that area, but regardless — “Dangerous” is one of those songs you’ll have to get an eviction notice for because it’s never gonna leave your head!
“Dangerous” starts with a drum-kit style rhythm, pleasantly ramshackle, as Furet’s vocals come onto the scene, playfully, growling. The guitar comes in to finish the trio off, and it isn’t long before the song is off to the races. Furet’s strong vocal performance meshed with his referential lyrics (evoking Tarzan and Kojak) give “Dangerous” a throwback feeling, especially when paired with the song’s simple production. It isn’t necessarily a track that feels straight out of the ‘70s, but it does work as a piece of music obsessed with the decade — and similarly pays tribute beautifully. Going off of one single is an impossible job to do, overall, but there are distinct comparisons ready to be made between CrashMonkeys and fellow modern glam-funk bands Foxygen and Diane Coffee if the material stays in the “Dangerous” lane. Similarly, the music could easily sway into The Darkness and Foxy Shazam if the theatricality meters were to get turned up to 11.
CrashMonkeys do Santa Cruz proud with their eclectic melodies and funky lyrics, and they’ll certainly do the city proud with their live performances. “Dangerous” has a simple music video out now, that features Furet driving an automobile in a helmet while chowing down on a banana and singing. It’s filtered in a way that gives the video as much charm as the single, and continues to amp up my intrigue in regards to what else Love And Kicks will have in store for us! Until then, however, “Dangerous” is a dangerously good time, and will more than help listeners dance their way through the summer.
Mindy McCall
