Solex vs Cristina Martinez and Jon Spencer – Amsterdam Showdown, King Street Throwdown

Jon Spencer is a lucky man indeed. Critcally lauded for his contributions to all things, SleazeBluesPunkRock he is also husband to the achingly beautiful Cristina Martinez. So when the call came from beat project manager extrordinaire, Elisabeth Esselink to record a collaborative album with his missus, it must have made his year.Considering the marital conection of the leading lights in this venture, the result is a disappointing mish mash of ideas spliced into an unctuous mass. Those familiar with Spencers previous bands will immediately recognise the sleazy drawl and economic guitar style that epitomised much of his more recent work. Martinez works hard to provide a spiky resistance to the laconic proceedings but too often the alternative styles sound like polar opposites fighting for their right to be heard.'Fire Fire' briefly raises the bar, Spencer proving the aggresor spouts "Fire - I got dat - desire" which is meshed against a seductive feminine vocal delivered as a spoken telephone call. 'R is for Ring a Ding' could be a rejected Gorillaz cut as could 'Action', both of which call in a brief hip hop interlude from Mike Ladd. Elsewhere things occassionally lean towards Beck on 'Don't Hold Back' and bizarrely, Rolf Harris would be pround of 'Er Ez Ex'.Its that kind of collection.... pieces have been shoe horned together and the end result is weaker than its constituent parts. Solex has always specialised in the habberdashery approach to her mix ups but you get the feeling that when Spencer and Martinez are supping their retirment Whiskey, neither will fondly recall this as their best work.