Posted on: July 30, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Man, “Future Luver” is an interesting track. The song itself links together rock and funk, while Statan’s output on the track shows influences from artists as different as Lenny Kravitz, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Gavin Degraw. While it would be easy for Statan to go off into absurdity, as acts like Chromeo (“Needy Girl”) and the Bloodhound Gang have done, Statan makes for a track that is compelling, a little goofy, and addictive all at the same time. The charisma that Statan brings to the tracks on “Go Big or Go Home” is similar to acts like “Weird Al” Yankovic and Tenacious D, but there is a dedication to the music by Statan and his band that outstrip the sometimes weak outputs of those two acts.

This means that “Interference” can have a little bit of the quality that The Police brought forth to their classic album “Synchronicity”, while creating a track that shifts rapidly from punk music to a more angular, Killers-sound and then to something that is so unique that it truly defies description. This unique sound speaks to the charisma that Statan brings to this EP, which feeds upon the talented instrumentation that is brought to the table by Gawain Matthews, Dave Tweedie, and Andrea De La Rosa. “Don’t Hold Back” is a funk track that contains a humorous element in much the same way that “Future Luver”, while the instrumentation continues to break free of listeners’ expectations through the inclusion of psychedelic-tinged synthesizers.

“Go Big or Go Home” is a watershed EP, and the tracks on the disc provide listeners with different pieces that, when put together, show Statan as a talent that is comparable to the likes of a Peter Gabriel. Statan has the same diverse set of influences and approaches that he takes on “Go Big or Go Home” that Gabriel did during his heyday. However, Statan is better than Gabriel in the sense that the tracks on “Go Big or Go Home” are honest, and really showcase what Statan wants to do with music. While there are only a few songs on this EP, I know that this CD will be in my car for months to come. Statan shows that there should be no limits to what an individual can do when they create music, and the impressive nature of the tracks on “Go Big or Go Home” should represent some mark that future artists should strive to achieve.
Top Track: Future Luver

Rating: 8.1/10

Alex Statan – Go Big or Go Home / 2008 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.alexstatan.com /

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