Breaking the Balls of History is the greatest album to land in 2023. Koko try keep up with other releases, try give them a fair listen but there no competition. Quasi release this album on February 2023. On first listen, Koko already know this favourite album of the year. Pull up a chair Junior, Koko tell you why.
The Best Quasi Albums
Since the release of 2001’s Featuring Birds, Quasi have evolved. Their music became less keyboard/roxichord centric, more blues and more chaotic and experimental. But through the chaos came dark lyrics delivered with beautiful harmonies. Melodies. Smash together, and sound unlike anything else.
The best Quasi albums always challenge the listener. Album like When the Going Gets Dark, Koko, wondered “What the heck is this catastrophic noise”. Not nice on old Koko’s ear holes. Then that noise become something else, like next-level tunes from another world. But those first few listens can be difficult. And listener need to live with album, play in background, listen with headphones at home, on train, in car. In shower.
And Breaking the Balls of History is similar but smoother experience.
Breaking the Balls…
On first listen, Quasi tragics notice the distorted keys. The Roxichord sound is back. With barely a hint of guitar on most tracks, Koko get Featuring Bird vibes. Polished Production and experience of Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss, a partnership that make it through a 20+ year rock and roll partnership, come with the goods.
New album eases you in with Last long Laugh, with tales of a teenage porcupine and the edge of death. Melodic Chaos kicks in and it glorious. And personal favourite half way though album, “breaking the balls of history” is the best song under 1.5 minutes ever written. Pure heaven in Koko’s ears.
And Like the best Quasi albums, there a checklist of must haves. Extended rocking jams, a specific organ sound on at least one song (found on Gravity). A song that Janet sings (Inbetweeness), a huge album closer and some dark shit peppered in between. It’s all here friends.
Why This Album the Greatest
Some journalists claim album has “blurry quality” and lyrics “waffle between underwritten observations” and “purple prose”. Koko kindly ask these “journalists” to hand in their gun and badge. Quasi not Bon Jovi. Not living on a Prayer. Quasi has always been experimental, raw and fun. And some choruses, like in Doomscrollers, are weird, and some may think it unfinished, or not good. Koko think it genius,
Blackberry pie a la mode
Black coffee, no tomorrow
No one to be, nothing to see
Clouds hide the stars
And the helicopters
What that all mean? They fill in words for unfinished song? No, But Koko guarantee, that chorus will stick in your head, and you will be in your head throughout the day. For days and days. “Blackberry Pie A la mode”….
Some songs like, Riots & Jokes – which Sam describe as the centrepiece of new album, sound like just a good rocking song. Superficial listeners could claim it throwaway song. But really listen to appreciate the song. The words and music dig deep into your skull, Koko’s favourite part is….
“Uncle Sam,
Sick old man
What’s the plan baby?
Obliteration?”
Koko never sing the word “Obliteration” so joyfully in his wasted life. That song amazing. And those tiny details come through repetition. Let the tunes really sink in and every song has a part that you wait to hear. It could be a line, a solo, an ending, whatever. The music unlike anything else and most people have no idea it exist. Make Koko sad.
Final Thoughts
Koko find it hard to believe that it’s been 10 years between releases for Quasi. It amazing, when some artists come back after long break, new music not very good. Or just ok. Quasi have captured their 1999 glory, mutated it through their current selves and delivered a noisy, energetic and timeless album.
Koko grateful that Quasi come back, and deliver him a new musical touchpoint for his life, amongst unlimited streams of unlistenable music.
Album of 2023 – Breaking The Balls of History, 2023’s best and one of Quasi’s finest.
XoXo – Kokomo
Read the Buck 65’s King of Drums Review, which was also Koko’s Album of 2022. It is a Beast and Buck 65’s comeback album after self-imposed exile.
