The coolest thing about
the Advantage's self-titled, Nintendo-centric 5 Rue Christine debut is its complete lack of keyboards/samples. Fleshing out the original theme to "Ghosts 'n' Goblins," for example, with big beat percussion, turntable scratches, or even rock guitars would reek of opportunistic gimmickry. In
the Advantage's hands, it's a wiry and literate instrumental, closer to its source than Trans Am's early, video game-influenced work ever was, but nevertheless sharing that group's post-rock feel. The Advantage's shtick works because their faithful, deceptively simple guitar/bass/drum renderings of tracks from Nintendo's heyday -- "Metal Gear -- Jungle," "Zelda -- Fortress," "Mario 4 -- Underworld" -- aren't cheap or dancefied crowd-pleaser covers, but disturbingly complete remakes that emanate from a purer, indisputable level of geekdom.
Advantage isn't nostalgia or the work of "Wouldn't it be funny if" wiseacres. No, these guys are nouveau historians, tackling a signifier of the late 20th century with intellectual fervor and a dash of winking whimsy. The Advantage -- now you're playing with power. ~ Johnny Loftus