Walking into a bar and watching all the girls and guys slippen and sliden to the very hip and pulsating sounds eminating from the juke...Smart lyrics,great rhythms and a dancebeat to end all!! Party on!!
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I've seen Phat Chants a couple of times and always wondered why they had no cd out. It kicked my ass when I found out they had one! The title song is alright, but not one of my favs. There Goes the Neighborhood is great with a Blues Traveler type harmonica. Price of love rocks. American Dream has a Springsteen feel, yet different. Rocket to Me kicks fuckin' ass with an atomic blast at the end.What's that all about? This cd is really different. It says something and you can dance to it! Betweent the Lines will keep your interest. I wonder if they'll do another one.
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There is very little originality in rock these days...there's so much banality out there. It's so refreshing to hear original music with the spirit and energy of Phat Chants.  "Between the Lines" is incredibly dynamic...I could go on but I just think people need to hear this music with its appropo political commentary...
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The disk leads with two of the strongest tracks. Between the Lines progresses well lyrically and tells a story that connects. The unspoken cues we get thru life that we'd do well to heed. There's an early Dire Straits vibe to it. 

Friend of Mine has a good repetitive melodic hook. Snarling guitar and riffing keyboards. 
 
The general party atmosphere of the recording (Oingo Boingo, The Kinks and the B52's get together for a kegger) is only slightly marred by the couple of songs that wax political. I know it worked for U2 and The Clash but I'd prefer these guys to concentrate on the fun loving aspect of their sound, give the people a good time, and leave the editorials to Newsweek. Fortunately, they do just that for the majority of the cd.
 
Steal Love deals with loneliness and isolation in a unique way. With a good natured delivery. Now THAT'S cool! It's hard to make a depressing subject sound upbeat.

Cryin is a solid, funky, bluesy song and one of my favorites for the irresistable groove it exudes. 

There's plenty to like on here. Perfect? No, but a fair amount of solid material. I'd sum it up as Party Music. And who does'nt want to have a good time? There are traces  of Talking Heads, Dire Straits, and Ray Davies. At times it threatens to veer into ska. There's a Peter Gunn type bass line in one song and a Cyndi Lauper She Bop nod in another. So there's audible influences but they are'nt overt enough to be distracting. There's a couple loose fills here and there, but for the most part not a bad launch. 

Put it on the stereo and you'll soon be wearing a lamp shade on your head and wondering where all the strangers dancing in your living room came from.
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