Fighting Boredom bring you three new album reviews. The ‘earthen heaviness’ of BIG|BRAVE. The ‘high-octane, provocative electronics’ of DEBBY FRIDAY and the ‘Experimental Electro Jazz-Rock’ of MOWGLI.
Read what we thought below.
BIG|BRAVE
Nature Morte
Thrill Jockey
This whole album is a little over forty minutes, but the tracks all seem to last a small lifetime. This is a good thing in case you thought it was a criticism. The music grows and falls, hates and seethes, despairs and falls with all the space in the world to do anything. The vocals are like a weapon, they cut, mangle and gouge inside of you as the music circles ready to torture and grind you down. It’s heavier then a falling slab of overpass hitting a car underneath the tunnel but it’s also as delicate as an ant picking it’s way over a new green leaf. The contrasts make this something very special. It is overwhelming to listen to and not straightforward at all but the effort is worth it. It’s a truly beautiful record. It is so honest and emotional that it will stay with you when it finishes and fades away.
DEBBY FRIDAY
GOOD LUCK
Sub Pop
This is an immense slice of throbbing, bass driven squelchy electronic music that just about keeps up with DEBBY’s vocal which switches from slides from seductive, pleading, sexual, tense and drenched with sweat. It’s an album to be played at extreme volume in packed decadent clubs to drive the clientele into an absolute frenzy.
I like this a lot, but haven’t yet had the chance to play it loud enough. I think that it could just melt your brain if it was at full volume. It holds back much more than it delivers too. It doesn’t explode as much as you expect it too, restraint and pent up emotions drive the rhythm forward and it really gets under your skin.
Mowgli
Gueule de Boa
BMC Records
I’ve listened to my fair share of experimental, bold and downright bonkers music over the years and I’m happy to say that French Trio MOWGLI’s new album is all three. They seem to settle on an idea for a piece of music then screw it up, throw it over their shoulders and start something new. They do this over and over again. It’s a head rush of an album.
It’s jazz, but as most of you will switch off and click away from this when I say that I need to say that you don’t need to fear this. It has far more in common with the Butthole Surfers than Sun Ra, although there are similarities between those two anyway.
It’s a wild ride through the darkness. A cool groove through the stars and it is as mad as a box of frogs.
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DEBBY FRIDAY’s website is debbyfriday.com. She is on Facebook, Bandcamp, Instagram and Tweets as @DEBBYVENDREDI
BIG|BRAVE’s website is www.bigbrave.ca. They are on Facebook, Bandcamp. Instagram and Tweet as @big_brave_
