Fearless Leaders is, to date, the most recent record from this name and features Ginn on guitar, bass, organ, synth and theremin with frequent latter-era engineer Mike Shear credited with drums. I don't have an ear that always distinguishes programmed percussion but would say Shear's drums sound organic here, albeit buried and muffled by the mix (Mike also engineered and mastered with Ginn credited with production).
How is the Royal We different from Get Me High, The Killer Tweeker Bees or Hor? You have to hear it to get it but there's a distinct drive and dominance to the rhythm and some very careful, restrained composition throughout, spectacularly demonstrated by opener "Unbalanced Crop Duster," itself unbalanced at over eleven and a half minutes, dominating the record in both length and quality. I've written on segments of Hor music being suitable for film scores. All of Fearless Leaders could qualify as a superb score (much more so than Jambang's own actual film/score, 200 Days in Space). "...Crop Duster" is an impressive opener that drives and dominates with a sinister flavor and deftly lays out each ingredient with appropriate restraint (those terrified at the inclusion of a theremin need not flee).As high on my list as the Royal We are and as good as Fearless Leaders is, it isn't perfect. "Caravan of Will" stutters in the best way but also stumbles along (in not the best way) with a segment of bassline and theremin just too stripped down. Add in weird tempo games that accelerate toward comical and the number never finds its footing. "Cave Dweller" splits the difference to end the first side as the drive dials back and Ginn guitar finally takes the fore as mystical force.
"Fog Nation" opens Side Two with the melody in the forefront and is simply too repetitive - lots of cool sounds abound but zero hooks surface. Again, tempo trickery gets real ridiculous real fast and, ultimately, goes nowhere. "The Fix Is In"resumes the slithering single-note rhythmic drive, resting effectively with fascinating fills spilling in. The number deconstructs - or decomposes, rather - toward the end and leads to closer and behemoth bookend, "Nuts and Some." "Nuts and Some" mirrors "Unbalanced Crop Duster" as a calmer cousin but, at nearly ten minutes, it just lingers a little too long. In the end, it's imperfect but surprisingly solid. An easy re-listener and I frequently line up all the Royal We work for repeat rotation. Ginn seems to have set some groundrules (even if known only to him). It's a little cold and more than a little controlled but not concise or sterile. Greg doesn't overtly focus on any one instrument nor does he pile on or muddle everything into a mess. The Royal We exist in an interesting space and I'd love to hear more under this name.
Fearless Leaders was released on vinyl only (kind of frustrating in the most Ginn of ways as its counterpart long-player, We Are Amused, is CD-only) and, so far, has a single pressing on clear wax with a blob of black in the center. It's well-mastered and sounds good loud. Artwork is a solid Ginn 1 with an actual model and makeup artist credited and the jacket image carried over onto the record's B-side label.
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