MC Lars – The Laptop EP

If the name MC Lars isn’t one that rolls off your tongue now, it will by the end of the year. Not only will his videos be all over MTV, he’ll adorn the cover of the music weeklies and monthlies. It’s a confident prediction, but there’s a confidence and quality, as well as a quirky fun take on world matters, that holds they key to Lars’ mainstream appeal. While this will pretty much split the punk rock community, with as many people hating him as much as they love him, Lars will be big news this year.

‘The Laptop EP’ is as catchy as it is clever, and while there are a few moments where there’s nothing too remarkable, there are tracks that are pure genius. I’m not a fan of hip-hop, rap or any of that style of music, so liking it came as a shock to me. I usually try and steer clear of hype, mainly because it very rarely lives up to it, but Lars, real name Andrew Nielson, is the exception to the rule. But I guess anyone who sings about iPods and Guildford, let alone samples Brand New and Piebald, is onto a winner. Not only that, but the hilarious ‘Signing Emo’ is the truest lyrical pastiche I’ve heard this year. If you take the Beastie Boys, Atom and his Package and Weird Al Yankovic, throw them in a big melting pot and chuck in an emo backdrop, along with a huge slab of tongue-in-cheek humour, you’ve got “something the kids will cry for,” as Lars himself sings. Not bad for a uni student who, after getting bored with pop-punk, started recording raps on his laptop.

First single ‘iGeneration’ samples Piebald‘s ‘American Hearts’ and will hook you in instantly. It’s a track that immediately showcases Lars sharp wit and cutting edge style, and while his raps won’t break new boundaries, there’s a cleverness that will attract kids in. It’s literally a song that takes the piss out of the 21st century teenagers who can bury themselves in a cyber world. Having Piebald as the sample merely gives the track a huge singalong aspect. Being able to include the line “I hope I die before I get sold,” really sums up the track. ‘UK Visa Versa’ isn’t as instant, but ‘Hurricane Fresh’ will dispel any worries that Lars is a one-hit wonder. While the chorus does grate a tad over many plays, again there is a tongue-in-cheek feel that makes this very likeable.

‘Signing Emo’ will inevitably be the track that gains Lars column inches. With a video in the works there’s a good chance it will propel him into the big leagues. It’s not just the story that is hilarious, but the fact the sampled chorus is so incredibly catchy, which is ironic in itself as the band, Hearts That Hate, are as clichéd as the song tells you. I can’t really say enough good things about this track, except to suggest you go and get this song. It’s my favourite individual track of the year bar none. Telling the story of a label exec’s trail to snap up the next big thing, it is fantastic:

“The label Pres calls and yells “Sign more emo!”
“How about screamo?”
“If it helps sign Nemo”
“We’re down 2% and BMG knows”
“My Daughter likes Dashboard so get me one of those”

‘The Laptop EP’ could never, ever match that if it tried, so to maintain a quality record you’ll continue to listen to would be hard, but Lars manages it. ‘Stat-60′ takes a closer look at school exams, while ‘Straight Outta Stockholm’ name-checks NWA and is more rap-based, than sample-based. That leaves ‘Mr Raven’, which takes a bassline from Brand New and wraps it around a MC Lars history lesson. Even though the track goes back in time there are still plenty of pop-culture references, from mocking Paris Hilton’s sex video to name-checking Fred Durst and Michael Moore.

Not everyone will like MC Lars. He’s not punk and he’s not rap, and he’s certainly not pop. But there’s an x-factor that he has in abundance, and it’s this unknown quantity that will make its mark. This is one fun record and is perfect summer listening. It’s not something I would usually get excited about, but this is an EP I have really grown to love over the last three months. With a very small scale UK tour coming up, you’d be a fool to miss out. Because the next time he’s back, the secret will certainly be out…

www.mclars.com
Truck Records/Side Cho Records

Paul