Har Mar Superstar - The Handler

Har Mar Superstar is riding his one trick pony for all it’s worth. But seriously, after three album’s worth of vapid, juvenile rhymes, how much further does he really think he’s gonna go? Now, I don’t mean to completely slag this record off since there are a few decent moments on The Handler that even I can’t deny...no matter how much I really want to. For instance, Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) joins Har Mar on “Cut Me Up,” a ridiculously wannabe naughty song with an 80s dance beat. I actually really dig “As (Seasons)” and it’s herky-jerky, bouncy rap. It sounds more like it should be coming from one of today’s hip-hop dudes though, not a hairy Minnesotan. Then there is Har Mar’s attempt to channel Stevie Wonder on “Sugar Pie.” It’s not really a bad impression really and actually sounds an awful lot like “Isn’t She Lovely?” Can’t blame a guy for trying I suppose. The guilty pleasure on The Handler has to be “Back the Camel Up.” It’s an absolutely silly song in the tradition of “Da Dip” and Ludacris’ song "Stand Up," in which he says, “When I move you move (Just like that).” Yep, that’s right; it would seem that Har Mar is trying to start his own dance craze with this one: “Jump, Jump, Spit.” Um…none for me thanks. And despite all of this, I can’t help really liking this song and its Middle Eastern vibe. I’m not even going to try to defend it. The album ends with a cover of “Alone Again (Naturally),” originally done by Raymond O’ Sullivan in the 70s. I’d say that pretty much sums up what Har Mar Superstar is trying to do: Channel the cool(ish) vibe of the past and recapture the groove and the free love. I just can't get with the idea that he's pulled it off. Even though there are some fun moments on The Handler, I can’t quite shake the feeling that there are frat boys and sorority girls sitting around on shag carpet patting themselves on the back for how totally cool they are to be listening to it. [www.harmarsuperstar.com]