Lazlo - Venus EP Review
Lazlo is a Hungarian farmyard socialist with a penchant for tragic humour exemplified by his self-styled role as 'Lazlo Dr. DooAlot'. Based in his private zoo in Budapest this punk singer has managed to prove that talking to animals is not all he can do, and with platinum sales and appearances at various festivals, including Bestival and the prestigious global FEST in New York City his rural background has certainly not been a hindrance.
The opening track to Lazlo's debut I'm The Man is a freewheeling celebration of manhood as the protagonist drags his admittedly wary gang into a ship's galleon's worth of hedonism. The track, itself is loosely held together by chord structures the Cramps wouldn't be ashamed off with carefree lyrics in which, at times, Lazlo humorously attempts to broach an English, swashbuckling accent.
I'm A Rabbit Not A Man allows no respite as Lazlo's angst is turned on the ignorant with the line "I'm not a rabbit.....there are rabbits all around" being a barely masked metaphor for the manner in which the members of the Eurozone are gaggling to be taken down with it whilst the banks get richer and the rest starve. He states that "freedom is to have a full mouth". The squealing climax with its gory claret drenched picture ultimately shows that no one wins in this game with his "cup running over".
Penultimate track I Will Eat with the line, "I will eat everything before it eats me", he becomes the epitomy of gluttony and his belief in chocolate bars could almost be propaganda material. On another note, it's interesting to note how much he seems an outsider in this whole shenanigan that most of us take for granted and call life; an onlooker with no stake in the apparent stupidity. The fury and the darkness later come with a Nick Cave gravitas.
The title track allows a little piece of acoustic melody to end what has been a rough time so far, and shows Lazlo's ability to write a classic pop song.
This EP is nothing more than a solid show of this troubadour's strengths, humour, rage irony and still yet tenderness. It's a shame that so many foreign artists don't get the help of award-winning producers such as KT Tunstall's and Jamiroquai's, because if they are half as thrilling as Lazlo then we are missing out.