![]() The EP’s closer is the seven-minute epic “Well Rested,” the longest track in KKB’s discography. ![]() Structurally, “21/04/20” is unusual, as it features no chorus or other repeated section, instead simply consisting of multiple verses, or arguably a single long verse, as if to emphasize the stretching of the current moment and the blending of days in isolation. As Perry sings “As I head up the road/A private ambulance zooms off into the distance/In silence/All the shops are closed,” the listener is transported back to early days of the pandemic, possibly the date in mid-April 2020 that the song’s title references. As its beat skips along, the wash of analog synthesizer textures is so cozy it’s easy to ignore the palpable anxiety of the lyrics, painting a picture of lockdown in all its mundane dread. Track two, “21/04/20,” takes on a more mellow, hazy mood. The instrumental for “The Princess and the Clock” is a richly textured synth fantasy landscape, with a propulsive beat, glittering keyboard tones, and a couple of rave-worthy breakdowns, one made up of vocal modulations at the song’s opening, and another vintage synth solo at its bridge. Although it was written before the pandemic, the mood it captures nevertheless feels poignant. The album’s opening track, “The Princess and the Clock,” calls back to the chiptune cheer of 2016’s “Bonito Generation” album, while mixing in the wistful melancholy of “Time n’ Place.” This effect is enhanced by Perry’s light vocals and the track’s fairytale-evoking lyrics, an allegory for feelings of isolation and stagnation. “Civilisation II” consists of only three songs, which KKB have said are representative of the past, present, and future. Most recently, the duo of “Civilisation” EPs, the first released in September of 2019 and the second released in April of 2021, take on the horrors of pandemic isolation and climate change through a fantasy-tinged lens. More recent work, such as 2018’s “Time n’ Place,” leaned towards shoegaze and post-punk. Kero Kero Bonito’s early music drew influence from electropop and Japanese hip hop, with the Japanese-born Perry often giving a bilingual vocal performance. The London-based trio began releasing music in 2014 with the mixtape “Intro Bonito.” The group consists of vocalist Sarah Midori Perry, also known by the stage name Sarah Bonito, alongside producers Gus Lobban and Jamie Bulled. Even as their music has evolved, the loosely-defined indie band Kero Kero Bonito has always released songs with a distinctly personal touch.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |