The Show Is The Rainbow Wet Fist

• Words: August Howard
• Label: Retard Disco
• XLR8R Rating: 5.5/10

Nebraska native and spazz-punk extraordinaire Darren Keen comes with plenty of DIY cred, having played nearly 1000 shows everywhere from barns to bars and yes, the occasional arena. (Those opening slots often come courtesy of his pals and frequent touring partners, The Faint.) Unfortunately, his second album, Wet Fist, doesn’t have the tunes to back up his high-energy, over-the-top live antics. While the music is competently done, Keen’s mix of glitchy beats, rough-around-the-edges falsetto, and white-boy funk has been done before, and better. Wet Fist certainly isn’t going to make anyone forget about their Beck records. Skip the album and check out The Show Is The Rainbow when he comes to your local dive bar.