Black Kids – Partie Traumatic – review

Artist: Black Kids

Title: Partie Traumatic

Label: Red Ink

Rating: 4/10

Corporate line:
Debut album from the Florida group that Rolling Stone named “Artists to Watch” in 2008. Their first single. ‘I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You’ entered the UK Charts at #11. ‘Partie Traumatic’ was produced by former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler and is choc-full of equally effervescent pop songs just waiting to be heard. Judging by their live shows the song is an indie disco anthem in the making. A dash of disco, a dash or two of heartbreak and a rousing chorus, what else do you need?

The great:
“I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You” – This isn’t entirely bad. It reminds me of a bad ’80s movie where the nerd tries to win the love of a nerdy girl who started dating the quarterback.

The rest:
“I’ve Underestimated My Charms (Again)” – You’d expect this in a John Waters musical full of cross-dressers.
“Partie Traumatic” – With a spooky electronic tone mixed with a party hook it’s a really bizarre combination–and yet it’s one of the album’s better songs.
“Hit the Heartbrakes” – This definitely needs to be your cup of tea–it’s not for me.
“Listen To Your Body Tonight” – Anyone remember how lame Blur’s “Girls and Boys” was? This is a synth-pop version of that same trauma.

The truly bad:
“Hurricane Jane” – This is atrocious.

Finally:
If you’ve wished the B-52s’ would grow younger and put out an album then you’ll be all over Black Kids. And if you never understood the B-52s then your going to feel exactly the same about Black Kids. You see where this is going. Black Kids are the kind of artist that critics usually love and fans hate. Then again, maybe fans will love this since I hate it and turn the whole damn thing on its head.