Track Of The Day Spirit Bunny
I got acquainted with the Aussie ‘democratic’ threesome based in Brisbane, Spirit Bunny, about four years ago at the time of their brilliant self-titled debut album, tortured by my typical rather long yet still a quite interesting and fun interview.
Thanks to the band I had learned the meaning of ‘circuit bending’, until then a term rather obscure to me, and got to highly appreciate their distinctive DIY ‘grit-hop’ sound in a dizzying blaring array of vintage Commodore 64s and tweaked Casio Sk 5/8 droning and fuzzy keyboard sound, rickety hip-hop beats, vigorous drums, playful, eccentric twisted electronics, and captivating passionate vocals, sprayed with an irresistibly oblique and surreal pop quality.
Following their slow natural pace, to not forget that they are also involved in acts such as A Country Practice, Feet Teeth, Terra Pines and Ghost Notes), the trio is going to finally drop their second LP, “Uncanny Valley”, due out on July 9th via independent label Zang! Records, just preceded by the third and final single titled “Natsukashii”.
Spirit Bunny LP cover
While the production still retains its coarse flair, the band’s unpredictable and energetic retro electronic sound is certainly less buzzing and distorted, albeit, also by adding an organic instrument (courtesy of Fionn Richards of @requin.bad), already introduced in the previous single, deftly manage to conjure a mournfulness and melodrama of throbbing heartfelt emotional depth and melodic richness as never before, delivering possibly their most accomplished song to date.
The Asian title “Natsukashii”, a Japanese word for transitioning into a state of mind where nostalgia for a flawless past that never was is invoked, deals with evocative lyrics pondering the idiosyncrasies of modern life.
The track unremittingly crawls along with syncopated hypnotic rhythms and subtly percolating low ends, coated by a supple, billowing interplay of emotional glaring keyboards that relentlessly flow, and suddenly quiver, swirl and spiral with both entrancing and disturbing, achingly dazzling intensity, warmed by vibrant, heartfelt cello swells, to echo angsty, sad emotional male vocals, joined by a distant dreary female back-up, releasing wonder and dread into a spectacular fluctuating design of dystopic blues.
Spirit Bunny sophomore full-length album, “Uncanny Valley”, is slated for release, Vinyl 12″ & Digital, on July 9th via Zang! Records. Already on pre-order on the label’s Bandcamp.
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