Just what the heck is an Onka anyway? (Onka's Big Monka - Toploader)

Member Name: paule23

Product:	Onka's Big Monka - Toploader
Date:	04/05/01 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 11 out of 12 excellent tracks, Only £9.99 at Sainsbury's

Disadvantages: Track 12!!!!!

Everyone who has not already done so should go out and buy a copy of this album. Not because it is an extremely good album, but because of it's title. Every CD collection should have an album entitled 'Onka's big Moka' nestled amongst it's ranks. I've no idea who or what an Onka is, and as for a Moka, I'm not sure I even want to know! Still, it is such a cool title! Certainly beats such inspired creations such as 'Steptacular' and 'Britney'!

So, it's got a cool title, but is the album any good, well in a word, yes. I'm on a bit of a roll at the moment with album purchases. the last two albums I have bought have been absoutle crackers, I Should Coco by Supergrass and Songbird by Eva Cassidy. This album by Toploader is continuing the trend.

Toploader are a five piece hailing from Eastbourne and are made up of Joseph Washbourn (vocals, piano and organ), Julian Deane (lead, backing vocals), Dan Hipgrave (rythm, acoustic guitar and cool surname!), Matt Knight (Bass) and Rob Green (drums and percussion). Now we've been formally introduced I'll carry on with my review.

The main problem with the album is everytime I hear 'Dancing in the Moonlight' it reminds me of that bloody annoying cockney boy Jamie Oliver, and those even more irritating Sainsbury's adverts. It is such a superb song, I can't believe it's associated with the aforementioned Mr Oliver. He is just so annoyingly bouncy all the time, acting the wide boy in his posh flat with his beautiful wife, hundreds of friends and pots of cash. OK, I'll admit it, I'm jealous as hell. But it still dampens my enjoyment of this brilliant song.

All is not lost as there are plenty of other songs on the album NOT associated with Jamie bloody Oliver (I wonder if that really is his middle name!). Speaking of these other songs, what are they like?

I don't really want to go into
a track by track account, because let's face it, they get boring and I'm sure people never read them all (or maybe that's just me that can't be bothered) but I will let you know the album is pretty consistent all the way through. Joseph Washbourn has a distinctive voice than is quite reminiscent of the bloke from Reef, and it suits all the songs performed on this album.

There is a pretty upbeat tempo throughout, without being rocky or even poppy! More a classic indie sound, very funky and even a little bit soulful. It?s all a bit retro, full of some lovely guitar riffs and excellent keyboards.

There are 12 tracks on the album, including the singles which you may have heard 'Just Hold On', 'Dancing i the Moonlight', and 'Achilles Heal'. While these are some excellent tracks I think there are better on the album, particularly track 4, Breathe which begins with a simple piano intro which follows throughout the song, followed by some distinctive, quite poweful vocals and cracking guitar, with backing vocals making up the scene. Mellow but full of action at the same time, if that's possible! Track 6 is another gem, one of the slower tracks and very, very mellow indeed.

The album is pretty consistent throughout and well worth £14 of anyone's money.

Oh, incidentally whilst checking out the official website I did manage to find out where the title came from. It was chosen by one of the band members after watching a documentary on tribal rituals in Papua New Guinea where leading tribesmen give away their possessions to rivals to gain respect and power. Nice to know where these guys are coming from and where they get their influences!!!

Another late addition, I've just listened to the album again and spotted a flaw, they seem to have fallen for the old 'crap last song' trap. Many bands dive into this deep hole of despair with a self-indulgent track which either s
ays Goodbye or just goes on and on with no purpose, still, the rest of the album is great so we'll let them off!

Summary: