Considering the context around its release, Wargames should be monumental. President Bush's approval rating had been wallowing below the 50-yard line for weeks even before the tragic delays in bringing aid to Katrina victims. Cindy Sheehan, in spite of all her ideological inaccuracies about the war, opened a national dialogue on its necessity. Even Republicans are starting to think twice as they head into mid-term elections without solid reasons for our Middle East adventure. So considering the current climate, one would think that Rob Swift's venture into the political sphere four years after 9/11 would be a welcome addition from one of the world's best DJs.
Instead, we get a lot of noise-- a muddled album of dissent with absolutely no teeth. The war's been a catalyst for a lot of useful and informative protest art, but pure anger and disgust is no substitute for astute and insightful political commentary. Case in point, the fictional Bush laughter on the "Intro" is totally ridiculous. Recreating Bush as Vincent Price at the end of "Thriller" does nothing to further discussion about our war policy. The excerpt from a news transcript of the Amadou Diallo's murder in New York on "41 Bullets" is certainly important, but has nothing to do with the Wargames theme. Playing a clip of Bush speaking about 9/11 on "The President Is Speaking" seems to lend credibility to W. ("This is an enemy who preys on innocent and unsuspecting people, then runs for cover," the Prez says, but who argues with that?) "Piano for Condeleezza" is a just a piano riff for 1:11 and nothing more. That's it. If there's a stunning indictment in there, it's invisible. In fact, Swift gets away with 41 minutes of not saying anything at all.
Wargames only succeeds with hints at what could have been. On cuts like "A Terror Wrist", Swift makes like the Herbaliser and creates some real schizophrenia with shrill violins and creeping voice-overs. "Military Scratch" posts a similarly frightening urgency. Now if Swift used ominous tones like this to paint America with dystopian hues in a post-terrorist future, that'd be a statement. But as it standsWargames sounds like a lot of anti-war banter: a lot of complaints and ad hominems with no solutions, alternatives, or nuance. (Pitchfork/Reviews)
TRACKLIST
Intro
The Mad Bombers
A Terror Wrist
Featuring DJ Melo D
The President Is Speaking
Terrorism
Featuring Bob James, DJ Quest
America's Past Time
Another Friendly Game Of Baseball...Xtra Innings
Featuring The Large Professor
41 Bullets
Dream
Featuring Breez Evahflowin
Military Scratch
Featuring Ricci Rucker, Toadstyle
A Ghetto Poem
Featuring Anthony Saffery, Dave McMurray
Piano For Condoleezza
The Holy Trinity
Featuring Akinyele, Prints Haze
A Nation With A Mission
Vietnam?
Outro
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