31 Mar 2008 // A review by johnsoncraigsbc
We all want to be just like you- Crash Test For Favourite Things

The general aesthetic of Crash Test for Favourite Things has matured since their debut, self titled album, and the cover art captures some of the imagery that is apparent in the music wonderfully.

It speaks innocence and injustice. It suggest knowledge and the subsequent disgust. It questions the channels of release, and the power of people.

The opening is a deep, heavy mix of chord progression powered by lasting vocals. It states where Crash Test are heading and what they stand for. 'Unsatisfied' positions Crash Test among those who not only play, but speak. Music has gone from what was once considered poetry. Possibly one of the benefits of being unsigned, creative freedom is in tact, and the resulting album reflects that their integrity is intact also.

'The Secret' moves the album in new directions, and is significantly more guitar based than the songs preceding it. Heavier than the ballads before, it pushes and provokes the listener, but as throughout the whole album, it moulds itself into the next song seamlessly. This creates a beautiful array on sound without the need for absolute singles or song structure, it works magnificently.

An exciting new sound from Auckland's hardest working, experimental prog rock band. 'We all want to be just like you' is that all important second album which defines new direction and sets Crash Test's hard work concretely. A synthetic master piece from a band who are not being taken lightly, by those who matter.

4 out of 5

Craig Johnson

The phrase "the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" is often used in relation to modern music. Crash-Test For Favourite Things are a living breathing embodiment of this concept. Their sound is multi layered and multi textured, yet it's the way that those very layers and textures interact that result in something so remarkably original.

The term "progressive" was almost derisive in times gone by, but it's one that is appropriate and complimentary in this case – and all the more so since the progressive approach is used with an enthusiasm and innocence rarely found in modern popular music.

Their sound is as atmospheric and ethereal as Pink Floyd at their psychedelic peak, yet there is a sub strata as uncompromising as Soundgarden or Tool. Lyrically there is a personal and political challenge as relevant today as in 1968 or 1998 – yet without the direct value judgements of the former. Crash Test in their live setting are a journey into many spaces. Take the trip.

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