[review]
The 2 Cent Show is a unique and fascinating piece of work, which showcases its contributor’s raw, natural talent and passion for the steampunk ethos. The instrumentation draws inspiration from a number of the major music genres that were predominant in America prior to the second half of the 20th century, including Country Western, Swing, Traditional Mississippi Blues and Vaudeville, whilst blending modern electronic synthesisers. This fusion of traditional and contemporary perfectly signifies the basis of the Steampunk aesthetic, which is also the foundation of the group’s lyrical content. The songs spin tales of steam powered robots and their adventures across the old west, and this produces many attention-grabbing and thought-provoking concepts and lyrics. One could easily see a movie or graphic novel based on these characters. The cherry on the cake is the truly outstanding vocal harmonies, shared by the three assigned singers who all adopt elaborate costumes and stage-names to fully immerse themselves in the world they have crafted. The harmonies and melodies on The 2 Cent Show are so tight and expressive, they’re enough to make you envy their level of talent, with guitarist and founding member The Spine in particular displaying astonishing range and control. The album is a joy to listen to, with a diverse range of ballads, stories and catchy show tunes, that are sure to have you tapping your feet and humming along.
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Personally, I think that, our of their three albums, this one is their best.