‘Ordinary Pet Food` is the debut four track Extended Play from The Ham, which is the new techno project of Bertie Kelly, frontman of Limerick alt rock/hardcore duo Japanese Jesus along with being the bassist for alternative rockers SWEETS.
`Becoming The Ham` I read is a post-Christmas song making light of the dreaded January doom. The chorus lyrics state “I have now become the Ham,” a reflection on having an overindulgent festival period. It has a kind of Underworld `Born Slippy` meets Grace Jones `Warm Leatherette` aura about it and becomes fairly captivating. SWEETS frontman Liam Marley provides guest vocals on `Can`t Afford To Die` which enjoys a quite hypnotic pulsing beat with vocals that are splayed across and sound delightfully haunting.
`Creepy Guy` is a thumping pounding rhythmic offering with a kind of distanced stream of consciousness vying to be heard over and through a wall of vibrating electronic sound. We are led out with `Homicide` which again has almost remote spoken / sung content shared over a pulsating nigh on crushing industrial pulse or beat. The last fifty seconds eases up and is charmingly reflective as it fades.
`Ordinary Pet Food` is fifteen minutes of electronic punk rap with an intense edge at times. The four tracks enclosed will really set you up for the day ahead and for me The Ham have certainly brought home the bacon on this EP.
Rating 8.5/10
