Detroit’s Electric Six have always been a band that tends to “throw it up against the wall and see what sticks” (QRO interview), leading to a lot of material, not all of which sticks. That stays true with their umpteenth release, Human Zoo, but it’s a bit more cohesive of an Electric Six record.
Of course, this is still Electric Six, so Zoo is chock to the brim with singer Dick Valentine’s (QRO interview) mock-swagger, though the group goes particularly more for the disco-funk on this release, albeit a mock-macho disco-funk. The ‘human zoo’ concept allows Valentine to wallow and roar in the muck of humanity, from a suitably dirty song about foxy boxing (“Karate Lips”) to, yes, channeling the Devil (“I’m the Devil”), including a lame rebuttal from Jesus Christ.
Admittedly, Human Zoo doesn’t have enough of Valentine’s wittier lyrics (though the backbeat to “It’s Horseshit!” certainly reminds of their early hit single “Danger! High Voltage!”). This tilts the record less towards the ‘a few great songs & some filler’ of usual Electric Six releases and more towards an overall quality release without as many hills or valleys.
Electric Six – I'm The Devil
