Posted on: April 28, 2010 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

While I was disappointed in the fact that “Springtime She Waits” actually had that title instead of “Sometime She Waits”, what is coming to me as a Warrant song, The Human Value are actually pretty nifty. Lead by a set of female vocals during “Give Me”, what results is a style that blends industrial with surf and rockabilly music. This music is no Vampire Beach Babes, as The Human Value actually has talent and decides to show it throughout this disc.

There are also hints given during “Give Me” to both Blondie and newer Donnas, so one will already understand that The Human Value have positioned themselves to be alongside giants. The only thing that would be nice to hear The Human Value do on this self-titled disc would be to give some airtime to any Lolita Storm influences that they may have. A song like “You Want Him” will recall Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Sounds, but the band does not seem to touch on the more industrial Lolita Storm, something that would be (in my opinion) a natural progression for the band. The Human Value can even wow individuals by taking a slower course, as is the case with “Nashville #5”. During this track, there is a brooding tempo that finally kicks into a high gear when the distortion is cranked up.

Still, there is more than a little bit of tension present when the male and female vocals interact. The great thing about “Nashville #5” is that the vocals combine to create a Sisters of Mercy-esque sound that stands far away from the indie rock approach that the rest of the track relies on. The fact is present that individuals can just go forward and play any track on this self-titled full length and find something that is not too far removed from the tracks that are garnering high levels of airplay. The Human Value have talent enough to string together a solid album, and it is this fact that makes me believe that their career will be a storied one by the time that they pack it all in. The Human Value could stand to modify their distortion patterns slightly, but this is a minor value given the different approaches that each of the tracks on the disc have. Look around your local record store and pick up this album if it’s around, or contact the band.

Top Tracks: Tonight, Give Me

Rating: 7.0/10

The Human Value – S/T / 2006 Big Deal Records / 13 Tracks / http://www.thehumanvalue.com / http://www.bigdealrecords.com / Reviewed 24 January 2007

[JMcQ]

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