White Pepper

Description

.co.uk White Pepper, Ween's 7th opus, heightens the production values of their previous two albums The Mollusk and 12 Golden Country Greats to perverse levels. Slickest of all is probably "Flutes Of Chi", a sitar-laden, pseudo-spiritual anthem imbued with the spirit of George Harrison. Dean pulls out all the charismatic stops with a vocal that comes on like a New Age cult leader leading his flocks to annihilation. Elsewhere, the stomping single "Even If You Don't" tells the tale of a doomed romance founded over pharmaceuticals: "I love you even if you don't / You've got your knife up against my throat," Dean Ween cheerfully wheedles. "Bananas & Blow", meanwhile, is a gratuitous, calypso-flavoured workout with a laugh-out-loud chorus ("stuck in my cabana/ living on bananas and blow") that's smoothed out by professional backing singers. By the time tracks like "Stay Forever", "She's Your Baby" and "Falling Out" arrive, the mask of insolent indifference has been dropped for honest-to-goodness tugs at the heart-strings. Although White Pepper seems to self-consciously widen the musical spectrum for the benefit of radio, Ween freaks may be left bemused, but certainly not disappointed. --Chris Campion