Avi Buffalo is a young, new band that emerged on the independent scene not too long ago. They were, what I heard to be huge users of ambiguous lyrics and clean electric and acoustic instrumentation. I ended up buying a copy of their debut album “Avi Buffalo” at my local record store as a bit of an impulse buy with a mix of hearing good things from them and, boy was that a disappointment. This is, frankly, one of the worst albums I have heard this year.
Usually, stuff like this is bearable to me. However, as soon as the lead guy’s voice (as well as one of the female members of the band) hits on “Truth Sets In” I am immediately frustrated and annoyed. It’s not like their instrumentation is horrible, in fact I quite enjoy that aspect (until stuff starts to sound similar), but the voices and lyrics surrounding it are unbearable.
The basis of pretty much all the songs on “Avi Buffalo” involve silly teenage infatuation, immaturity, and straight-up blatant sexual allusions. Besides the fact that there are songs on here titled “Five Little Sluts”, “Summer Cum”, and “Where’s Your Dirty Mind?”, the lyrics match the theme of being infuriatingly horny with parts like “I walked in on a plan to dissolve all of your wishes But I couldn’t help your mouth which I missed by two inches”. These innuendo filled lines get to the point where they stop being clever, especially when he just describes kissing flaccid points.
There really isn’t a whole lot more I can say about the album that makes me hate it so much, since the issues I have with it are carried across from start to finish. However, “Five Little Sluts” is such a huge mess of vocals that makes me cringe and turn it off and “Remember the Last Time”, the seven and a half minute track that feels like a lifetime, most definitely, is no fun to hear. Songs including the female vocalist are the biggest break from the shit I have to hear from Avi Zahner-Isenberg’s voice. And I’m not a frequent hater on awful voices.
WINNER: Andrew
WHY: Avi Buffalo is constantly aggravating with their persistently sexual themes and it shows how immature this band is. Hopefully, they can get to a point when Avi can stop sounding like a jerk when he sings as well.
Fermata over Whole Rest 