Before we get to Nice As Fuck, let’s first talk about supergroups, and how the best bands are never one of them.
No, the best bands are usually made up of previously unknown musicians who practice together for hours and hours when no one outside the band gives a shit, until they find a sound that’s new and different, and interesting enough to organically generate attention. They’re driven by an all-encompassing need to land a record deal or craft an epic, they’re nobodies who toil in obscurity until they pick up a following of people who’d been looking for something new and different, and are happy they’ve found it.
Supergroups, on the other hand, almost always end up being nothing more than rich and famous people making easy cash off of gullible fans who are desperate to prove their loyalty. It’s inside-out, when you think about it: they get the notice first, make music second, and anything resembling toil is far in the rear-view mirror. As a result, the music ends up maybe half as good as it could’ve been, considering the talent involved.
Take it from a guy who until recently had multiple versions of Monsters of Folk’s record in his iTunes library: a group of famous people putting a band together from already-loved components is virtually guaranteed to disappoint. The best fans can reasonably hope for is a decent listen and a fun distraction. For the performers, it’s a breath of fresh air to reinvigorate a tired/aimless/searching/whatever else career. There’s value in both of those, but it’s ancillary to the main thing. And the only way to enjoy the resulting music on its own terms, is for everyone, artist and fan alike, to aim low.
That said, taking pleasure in a lack of disappointment doesn’t sound like much.
But thankfully, Nice As Fuck have enough fun on their eponymous debut to assure listeners that there’s plenty to be had here, if they only let it be.
Featuring indie icon Jenny Lewis, Au Revoir Simone’s Erika Forster, and The Like’s Tennessee Thomas, this super-trio traffics in thick and steady bass, propulsive and danceable drumming, and occasional keyboard scene-setting behind Lewis’ signature, superstar vocals. The eight songs and 45-second “theme” clock in at a tidy 26 minutes and demand very little of listeners, further endearing Nice as Fuck to those who might otherwise be wary.
In fact, the songs demand so little they almost feel dashed-off, like ideas stitched together on the run, as though Lewis, Forster, and Thomas are so happy to be in a band together and wanted to go tour but needed songs to justify the effort, which could be why this record came out. Anyone who’s ever played (or tried to play) music with their friends can relate:
“What do you want to play?”
“I don’t know…play something.”
“How about this?”
“Sure.”
Now, most of us who do that won’t end up crafting body moving party jams, songs that ladle on the fun in ways perfectly accompanying just about anything anyone could want to do this summer. Both “Door” and “Higher” should immediately enter the rotation for any dance parties you might throw, and as a unit, Nice as Fuck are onto something real tasty with their pared-down, bass-and-drums sound. The only real misstep is “Guns,” a woefully grandiose and out-of-place gun control anthem that rhymes “ISIS” with “crisis” and feels like a tacked-on grasp at profundity at the end of what’s otherwise a solid and chill little record.
The other seven tunes on Nice as Fuck, thankfully, are far less earnest about anything other than three talented women having a good time, feeling their womanhood and keeping bodies moving.
The easy themes and repetitious lyrics of the non-“Guns” tracks give Lewis a chance to kick some fire shit on the dance-pop tip, and she kills it. Unlike her heavier, more singer-songwriter solo records, these tunes set a stage, make a point, and get going, shaking asses all the while. Lewis sings like the beast she is while Forster and Thomas keep the beats hot, an almost revolutionary approach to the problems of bloat and insincerity generally associated with supergroups.
Or is it evolutionary?
Whatever the case, cue up Nice As Fuck this summer, grab something cold to drink, and nod along until you find someone to love. You could choose to think too long and hard about this band, but the better plan’s just to dance. There’s plenty of other bullshit you can worry about later: taking twenty minutes to throw yourself a smile party scored by Nice As Fuck won’t set you back much, I promise.
Rating: 3.67/5