The Arrogant Worms
Beige
(Independent)
Have we really arrived at songs about irritable bowel syndrome (“IBS”), hernias (“Hernia Belt”) and testicular cancer (“Brian’s Balls”)? If you have the affliction, it is hoped the Worms are laughing with you, not at you. The healthy listener may prefer the manly gadget worship of “Pressure Washer,” a Freudian deconstruction of the Canadian Tire guy…that you can jive to! Extra musicians enhance the music behind the jokes. “Security Guard” corners a fellow in uniform at the mall, done up in the loungey muzak that is part of his ordeal. In the Worms’ brand of satire, moments of brilliance brush against moments of goofiness, leaving the listener to sort it out.
—Doug Taylor
categories: Canadian artist
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.