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Crash Test Dummies, God Shuffled His Feet (Arista 1993) -- The Crash Test Dummies, a quartet hailing from Winnipeg, Canada, have released a groundbreaking sophomore album in God Shuffled His Feet. With its dense, richly textured production and the distinctive baritone vocals of Brad Roberts, the Crash Test Dummies are ready to crash this party.
The band, which is considered a mainstream pop act in Canada, developed a modest following in the States following the release of its 1991 debut album, The Ghosts That Haunt Me. On God Shuffled His Feet, the band departs from its acoustic roots and heads toward an alternative sound, with a crisp rhythm section and supremely over-dubbed guitars and keyboards.
The fact that the production on the album (which was recorded in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin) is flawless is not surprising, considering that Jerry Harrison (of Talking Heads fame) was at the helm. Singer Roberts explains, "We wanted to use synthesizers and samples rather than acoustic instruments this time. A lot of the richness you hear on the record is cultivated by a wide variety of synthetic sounds."
The album opens strongly with the title cut, in which a group of picnickers holds a conversation with God. After the Almighty makes a remark, one picnicker asks "Not quite clear/What you just said/Was that a parable/Or a very subtle joke?" Lyrics (and an attitude) like this, which are both questioning and whimsical at the same time, are rare indeed. From its scratchy opening sample to the closing synthesized guitar work of guest Adrian Belew, "God Shuffled His Feet" is a terrific pop tune.
The album continues with the spacey, richly-textured sound of "Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm," in which Roberts recalls some of the traumas of adolescence, and the upbeat "In the Days of the Caveman," in which Roberts' rich baritone is wedded with the voice of backup singer Ellen Reid to produce a swelling song of faith and hope. Also featured is "Swimming in Your Ocean," in which Roberts admits that, while he's "swimming in your ocean," none of life's imponderables really matter.
The Crash Test Dummies are on the verge of something big. After a few listenings, God Shuffled His Feet reveals its one flaw; Roberts (the group's chief songwriter) is a bit lacking as a lyricist. Someone needs to help Roberts distill the silliness from his songs and focus on the deeper meanings at which he hints. If the Crash Test Dummies develop more mature material, they could be mighty. In the meantime, God Shuffled His Feet is close enough.