+++: Chumbawamba's new release, Tubthumper, on EMI Europe/Republic Records is a shocker!
Were you happy when you bought Sugar Ray or Blind Melon for that super-catchy song, only to find out that every other song on the CD was different? If you were, go buy Tubthumper.
This punk/pop band from Northern England has just recently "hit it big" in the US. Chumba has been around since the mid 80s. Surprised? Due to their anarchistic views, they didn't want to sign with a major label. What made them sign with one? They realized that they had been naive to believe that an independent label would allow the band complete creative control. They signed with EMI Europe and released this latest album.
You can see where the eight members of Chumbawamba all contributed on this album. The tone and beat of each song is different from the next. Unfortunately for those, like me, who would like to hear some more of that punk sound that Tubthumper showed us, be prepared to disappointed. There is not another punk song to be found on this CD. They do however, successfully incorporate techno beats into most of their music, which is great if you like Techo, not so great if you don't.
Maybe once upon a time Chumbawamba was a kick-ass punk band, but they seemed to have changed their sound over time. It looks like to me that they went more "mainstream" in order to get the recognition of the major labels. I would recommend urging your buddy to buy the album, listen to it for yourself, and if you still like it, buy it. This isn't one of those "must buy" albums, you'd probably be more happy with the single.
