The Drugstore Cowboys: Chapter 3006

The duo that is the Drugstore Cowboys might have been to a couple of drugstores in their time, but they aren’t western at all. The programming of this album brings to mind the Beta Band at their craziest, or Air if they began wearing more vampire capes during performances. Audibly unnerving at times, Philippe Grenade and Jeff Scott try to capture the electroclash fad with “Horror Flick, Scene 1: Introduction to Chaos” and the somewhat more refined “These Clouds Will Never Catch Us”. But after a minute or so of this, you start looking at your watch or wondering how long this is going to continue. And using 9/11 audio snippets discussing “jumpers” won’t create too many admirers either. For a few songs, there is a vibe that sounds like Trent Reznor on his moodier, less industrial days, as is the case with “Penguin Tuxes at the Disco Bar”, with the almost obligatory “screamo” lines added in. The same can be said for “Mind of a Sales Man”, but “Eulogy to a Friendly Foe” is a far better effort, resembling a darker Depeche Mode. Generally, though, this is an album best left on the shelf or, perhaps more appropriately, left in Mr. Grenade’s mind. Need more proof? Check out “Only Fire Drives Away the Rats!”.