Review by
splendidezine.com

For most music fans, an "As Seen On Comedy Central" sticker on the front of a CD isn't much of an incentive to buy. If anything, it's a deterrent. I'm no rock'n'roll guru, but it's been my experience that while music and humor seem like a good match on paper, they're just not so good in bed. The jokes quickly wear thin after the initial laugh, and the only reason to keep listening is the music. Most great songwriters aren't going to match their classic melodies with a bit about the quality of airplane food.

Luckily, this multi-racial crew of New Yorkers sounds more like Fishbone than "Fishheads" (Barnes and Barnes' Dr. Demento staple). Whether they're rapping over funk, hip hop or mambo, these insane partiers never let up for a second. Even slow songs like "Talk" have an insistent groove. However, the band sounds most inspired on their insanely danceable songs. Opener "Circus" sounds like Outkast on 45 with a horn section, and "Sugar Plan" emphasizes the group's mambo leanings. Both should make you reach for the tequila. "Kimba Lang" is a particular favorite, featuring a stomping piano and great syncopation between the horns and bass.

The latter track also highlights one of the band's weaknesses: old-school Sugarhill-style rhyming. Indeed, "Kimba Lang" even strays perilously close to Vanilla Ice territory. I know that's harsh, but this style of enunciated rhyming is no longer particularly fresh, at least to these ears. Fortunately, J-Bomb's lyrics make up for P.I.C.'s lack of funkiness, demonstrating a goofy, nerdy charm. And really, that's the whole point here -- the band is just having fun, and so are we. That's why P.I.C. are now the house band for Comedy Central's Premium Blend. After all, they wrote a song about a bowling alley in Timonium, Maryland, featuring the line, "Wanna backspin? / Bring your own linoleum," so it's obvious that they have different priorities. - Mark Griffey

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