Strange Weather, Isn’t It?

!!! was in on the ground floor of the punk-funk/dance-rock revival, releasing their first single in 1998, well ahead of the rest of the post-punk dance-party pack. A dozen years on, with the sounds of The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem, et al – not to mention such key influences as Liquid Liquid, A Certain Ratio, and ESG – fully assimilated into the indie "mainstream," what’s a band of scrappy groovers three albums into a record deal to do? The answer !!! comes up with on Strange Weather, Isn’t It? seems to be quite literally "Keep on partying like it’s 1999." Or perhaps 1981. Instead of trying to move into new musical neighborhoods outside of their comfort zone, or milking their own style for some greater sense of significance, !!! simply pushes forward with the brand of synth-bubbling, rhythm-guitar-chattering, bass-drum-thumping electro-dance indie pop they helped to pioneer. The lyrics to Strange Weather's songs don’t make any attempts at grand socio-cultural themes or intense personal statements; they exist primarily to give you something to shout along to as that inescapable groove moves you up and down. A hot, sweaty, funk-flecked, 2 A.M.-on-the-dance-floor feeling is what !!! has always been about, and they’re not about to change that now.