I Get Wet
Andrew W.K. has a mission--to dirty up rock & roll, literally and figuratively. And while that may seem a sizeable task for one man to shoulder, consider that the Michigan-reared screamer has devoted the whole of his debut albumI Get Wetto ecstatic celebration of the id. It's a heck of an idea, and it's brought W.K. the fawning adoration of the British press who, after enduring years of ambient art-rock inspired by paranoia about technology (you know who we mean), are rushing to embrace W.K.'s credo that everyone should party till they puke. W.K. stays on theme throughoutI Get Wet's 12 frenetic tracks--song titles like the aforementioned "Puke," "It's Time to Party," "Party Hard," and "Fun Night" pretty much make the point. But W.K.'s more-is-more approach holds true of the music too--it's cheesy new wave meets spiky metal but delivered with such self-conscious force that it's almost bubblegum. Think of the gargantuan riffs of "Detroit Rock City" smeared with Flock of Seagulls-style synth while some manic propagandist hollers himself hoarse over top.I Get Wethas one setting--loud--but not since theStoogeshas unmitigated hedonism, and just plain headbanging, seemed like a plan. Mighty members of the three-finger devil salute fraternity, your soundtrack has arrived.--Kim Hughes