Three albums in, the band have produced some of their finest work yet.
It’s hard to describe Serfs Up! in a neat sentence. Honest, divergent and unexpected might be a few words to sum up this mixed bag of 60’s funk, tropicália and ‘80s action movie scores, set to earnest and unfiltered lyrics. Each song feels full without overwhelming in a musical environment you can’t truly explore with a single listen.
Serfs Up! starts bravely with ‘Feet’, an epic instrumental straight out of Kill Bill with lyrics that are an honest and poetic form of erotica. ‘Bobby’s Boyfriend’ begins with a laid-back drumbeat and environmental noises complimented by the occasional guitar lick. The chorus refrain “Bobby’s boyfriend is a prostitute” is repeated with “and so is mine” to finish it with a tang.
The longest track ‘Tastes Good With The Money’ sits on the cusp of six minutes, opening with an anthemic choir driven by husky vocals and gradually building across the tune. It takes a break close to halfway for a short monologue over a laid-back funk beat before rejoining the music in harmony.
Fat White Family create fun, extrinsic tracks that stand tall as production pieces. Regardless of whether the band is normally your cup of tea, it would be hard to fault the effort and musicality of Serfs Up!.
9.0
