Album Review

Egypt Central – White Rabbit

• 30th May 2011

Egypt Central having formed in 2002 and naming themselves after the hardest road in their hometown of Memphis, Egypt Central are about to release their second studio album. Whilst sticking with the same band personnel they have decided to engage with the talents of Skidd Mills (from their home state of Tennessee) rather than debut album producer Josh Abraham.

There is a definite improvement from their previous work. First of all the sound the sound seems much more solid, there are less distracting effects and the work seems more consistent, holding together much more easily. There is less of the faux anger which can be heard on their track ‘Taking You Down’.

Still, this is not about their previous work, everything is much more measured even on the thrashed out tracks ‘Kick Ass’ and ‘The Drug (Part One)’ both tracks are defiant with that hint of rock ‘n’ roll rebellion flavouring. Egypt Central is not a one track band as their acoustic soundings feature on the album’s closer ‘Backfire’.

There are attempts at surrealism, but they do not really work. ‘White Rabbit’ is the best showcase of this “Your magic white rabbit/Has left its writing on the wall/We follow like Alice/And just keep diving down the hole” and is more of an angry stomp against the basis of power. The following track ‘Goodnight’ again has Lewis Carroll references, but they are to deliver emotion rather than a trip into wonderland (unless there is a heavy dosage of irony – their emotional voyage is a wonderland of discovery).

However, if you accept this for what the record is, then you will enjoy it. You will experience some real highs and real lows on the rollercoaster of life. They have nailed a legitimate style and at times the album is as good as any other.