And One - Shice Guy

Artist: And One

CD Title: Shice Guy EP

Genre: Synthpop, EBM

"I think it's time to be honest.  This is not a good song at all." - And One, Shice Guy

An amusingly self-deprecating demeanor comes through strong on their latest EP Shice Guy.  Being largely unfamiliar with their back catalogue, I jumped at the chance to review their newest release. 

Shice Guy (I presume the spelling to be a diminutive of a homophonic German word meaning something completely different), And One's latest EP, is a bit of a carnival ride.  The title track is a goofy and boppy sendup of band life, with a catchy (if blunt) opening synth reminiscient of 8-bit video games.  It's as though they decided to charge forward with more absurdity than less; and in truth the song benefits.  It's quite good, in fact.  Fer Zwei, a melancholy and nevertheless engaging dance piece, is an artfully crafted tune with a more ethereal voice than what we're used to getting from And One.   These two songs form the highlights of the somewhat uneven album, but are worth its purchase alone; Fer Zwei particularly so.  Wasted (Demo) has a catchy opening riff that thankfully reappears later in the song, and is worth a listen, though I would wait to hear the finished version before passing judgment on it.   The overall production is, as can be expected, stellar.

The rest of the album doesn't quite hold up to the standards set there.  Perfect Life is droning, never really coming anywhere near a melodic conclusion, and seems to be a better fit for the self-referential barb inserted into Shice Guy; the dull and plodding rhythm synths lend weight but not life to the song, and the lyrics are artlessly written.  S.R.Y., a mostly-instrumental track, is evocative of 90's demoscene songs, but doesn't have a wealth of substance otherwise.

Shice Guy is actually a very good album overall; Fer Zwei alone holds the weight of an entire EP, while Shice Guy provides a bit of levity amid a relatively depressing scene.  Both of these songs are worth attention, and And One should be commended for them.  It's worth a buy.

Check it out:  Shice Guy