Weapons of Audio: Bipolar

Attention! The group formerly known as Future Shock will thank you kindly for referring to it from now on as Weapons of Audio. Unfortunately for the Atlanta-via-Charlotte duo, a name change does not a better band make. WOA is perfectly fine at what it does, but what it does isn’t all that compelling. Picture Prince’s basest ’90s instincts coupled with Lenny Kravitz’s neo-cock rock. Add some of the most unabashed OutKast worship in years, and you’ve got Bipolar, an unfocused smattering of competing sound and design. Tracks such as “Ladies Man” might make for fine after-hours club muzak, but it’s mainly because they’re indistinct enough to fade endlessly into the background. “Boulevard” and “If You Want Me” are passable imitations of Gold Experience B-sides. And “Kill My Boss” - despite its unsettling (and probably unwise) endorsement of workplace violence - is a pretty potent jam. But the high points aren’t enough to make up for WOA’s overarching lack of sense and subtlety. (1 out of 5 stars)