Give Yourself a Hand

Those who know the Crash Test Dummies from their down-home 1994 chart hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" may find themselves humming "Hmm? Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?" this time out. The offbeat but ultimately agreeable Canadian outfit of the past has transformed itself into a group of urban warriors this time out. Elements of electronica, funk, and soul work their way into an assortment of songs with sex on the brain. While baritone-voiced frontman Brad Roberts remains at the center of the sound, keyboardist Ellen Reid steps to the fore with "Just Chillin'" (she puts off a hustle with a curt "I only play myself"), "Get You in the Morning" ("I want it cheap / I want it now / I want it fast"), and "A Little Something" ("It was good on the car / You would go pretty far"--detecting a trend here?). From the oozy opener, "Keep a Lid on Things," through the piano-ballad closer, "Playing Dead" ("I know you hate my guts / I know the nasty things you say / About me to those sluts"), the group opts for the unexpected at every opportunity. The millions of fans who embraced God Shuffled His Feet but were standoffish toward the more daring A Worm's Life are going to have to make some more adjustments. Which begs the question: Was Give Yourself a Hand a smart move for Roberts and company? Maybe not, but hey, they're Dummies, right? --Steven Stolder