Uncle's Institution
Babe CDS
Iknowwhatyoudidlastrecords
Uncle's Institution is Ørsta, Norway's Egel Olsen and a rotating cast of musical characters, helping him fill out his songs. "Babe" is clavinet-driven funk, with lyrics that cross the line between humorous and ridiculously over the top: "She's mighty sexy/my personal whore/but not the kind you can buy at the store." It descends into endless repetition, hastily going from borderline funny to boring. Far more interesting is the b-side, "Everything is new". Focused on Olsen's acoustic guitar and falsetto vocals, it does reveal both his versatility and his aim of sounding a bit like a Norwegian Beck. Still, his versatility will shine only if his songcraft improves.
- Matthew W. Smith