Review

Jon Monsoon JHBLive

October 2007

The long awaited first full album from Cape Town’s secret masters of no genre is finally here! I say finally only because ‘Saves’ was officially ready for release back in October 2005. Has it been worth the wait? Is Michael Jackson (who?) weird? Is Celine Dion the Anti-Christ? Hell yes! And whilst the music on Saves thankfully comes close to neither, it does approach serious cult status; another giant leap forward in the group’s timely development. Over all 11 tracks, legend poet/lyricist Toast Coetzer’s ponderous, melancholy, humorous and by turns dark lyrics cut deeply observant of our times and drip unholy truths that only repeated listens will reveal. And that seems to be the secret to ‘getting’ this album: repeated listens, as there is far too much going on beneath each track to absorb immediately; remember: this is anti-pop music, this is music to ride thunderstorms to, music to stitch wounds to, music as expansive as the Karroo and as limited as your ability to listen or to dream. If you are out there feeling lost, remember: The Buckfever Underground Saves! “sprei my oop met jou skerp mes.” File under: Important South African release.