Dada
El Subliminoso (I.R.S.)
by Marc Hirsh
Dada
El Subliminoso (I.R.S.)
by Marc Hirsh
originally published in the Public News, ???, 1996
Having reached the point where it's becoming obvious that they're not going to make good on the potential they've shown since their debut, Dada spends their latest album spinning their wheels. Any previous indications that they were prepared to lead guitar pop into new lands can now be safely thrown out.
The strange thing is that they really haven't changed much. El Subliminoso is a bore throughout but doesn't really sound substantially different from their previous work. The difference is the fact that where their musical meandering and lyrical clumsiness previously suggested a band that, once it found itself, would be at the top of its field, the failure to overcome their initial rough spots hints that they're happy with where they are.
Where they are is a rut. The songs lope along for too long and never seem to coalesce into anything with any personality, lacking even a solid hook to grab onto. Not only are the lyrics stupid as a rock (the chorus to "Bob The Drummer" wins the dumb-and-dumber prize for this one), most of the ideas behind the songs were boneheaded to begin with. Tunes about vomiting in the Mediterranean, dropping acid with your father and creating teen angst for the 21st century all should have been thrown away before they had a chance to see the light of day.
Dada used to be a respectably good band that seemed to sit just on the edge of greatness. Now it's become clear that potential's all they ever had.