“For Science Fiction“
from the album Heresy and the Hotel Choir
2007
iTunes
…The single, “For Science Fiction,” is another standout. Its gnarly fuzz bass matches the abrasive sarcasm of its lyrics: “I want to thank God for the science fiction/ For the benediction and the contradiction, all our souls are saved.” One assumes von Bohlen isn’t a proponent of intelligent design. But more than a bit of bubblegum offsets the song’s bile, like the way the chorus dives down through its final syllables, into a pool of lustrous synths. “Hand Over Hannover” is notable for its sharper guitar tone, von Bohlen’s voice cutting through it like a dorsal fin (can you believe this guy can approximate sinister now?), not to mention the spry vocal tics (“beat-beat-beating”) he sneaks into his lines.