Vacuum Boys

Conceptual electronic music, Songs from the Sea of Love features lots of static, high-pitched electronic squeals, sharp crackling noises like rats chewing into electrical wires and sounds akin to the electrical surge from neon lights. Occasionally these noises are cleaved into by dissonant chords and feedback from an electric guitar. Come to think of it, listening to the abrasive and jolting Songs is not unlike listening to a radio with really bad reception. The best part of this release would have to be the misleading packaging and song titles. The Vacuum Boys' "file under: rock'n'roll" packaging tries to pass this quartet off as traditional musicians with a keyboardist, drummer and rhythm and lead guitarists, who double as lead and backing vocalists. With the exception of the fragmentary guitar noise, there is nothing on this CD to even remotely suggest these instruments. The song titles are no less misleading. "I Feel Love," "Orange Coloured Sky" and "Baby, Where Are You" are song titles much like the innocuous cover, where the producers wear sailor suits and hold on to their respective traditional instruments. The packaging appears to be poking fun at the idea of packaging and perceptions according to representation. This CD is rock'n'roll like Venom is new age music.