Kevin Blechdom’s 2003 set Bitches Without Britches spattered sex jokes onto banjos and sampling equipment. It was fun ... well, fun in a niche way, like a thrill ride through an abattoir. Now Blechdom’s back with Eat My Heart Out, and the shit’s still bananas. On “Suspended in Love,” “Are You Fucking With Me” and “Coming,” she wails like a karaoke Nico over mangled Muzak keyboards. The grinding “Love You From the Heart” gets all stalker and subversive about sexual politics, and features the addictive catchphrase, “I fucking love you so fuck you.” Press record and let the nitrous do the talking. You might not believe it, but there are some melodic and songwriting chops hidden beneath Blechdom’s manic sound carnival. There has to be — stuff like Eat My Heart Out is just insulting without it. (Note: Parts of album are still insulting.) She crams in country balladry, Benny Hill and chintzy laptop pop; her banjo shines on the surprisingly lush “Day to Day”; and the multipart “Invisible ROCK” might be the theme to a fringe sex retelling of Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Blechdom and Caligula in the lead roles. Eat My Heart Out causes queasiness. But it has a weird breeziness too.
Johnny Loftus writes about music for Metro Times. E-mail [email protected].
