What’ s crazy for one is normal to the other the same way Tchaikovsky is a blessing to the classical music world but trash to Zulu tribe in Africa. Music is something so personal to all of us, bringing out emotions and taking us back in time. It’ s like a religion worthy of the Great Crusade. We get into heated arguments and blissful consensuses about different tunes. It seems lately though as there is not much new and fresh coming out in the music world. After Gotye’s last album it almost felt like we’ve seen it all. It has all been done before.
What I’m about to dissect is nothing unseen and BADBADNOTGOOD isn’t the new kid on the block. Surely we have witnessed the same type of music and talked about the similar kind of creation, but I would like to talk about this Toronto based trio’ s latest album BBNG2. This almost an hour of experimental and surely unorthodox collection of music has certainly brightened the spring of 2012. This futuristically classical album offers the full specter of joy from the absolute innocence to dirty fantasies.
BBNG2 contains some obvious yet brilliant interpretations of some already well-known hits. I have to say, I would prefer to see more original creation, however having said that, I need to point out two specific covers: one from Kanye and another one from Feist.
When Flashing Lights was released in 2007 it became a phenomena and rocked the charts of both sides of the Atlantic. The electronic-tinged RnB tune melted even the frigid minds of non-believers of hip-hop culture. A masterpiece for sure which makes it difficult for other artists to cover. The risk of getting this wrong is undeniably high, but the (hopefully) twisted minds of BBNG have managed to add glow of instrumental perfection and turned the piece into something even more enjoyable. This fact however is and will be a matter of taste and surely debatable, but one’s for sure – they have got it right! The change that has been made has been for the better.
I cannot talk about this album without bringing out the second cover that managed to amaze me. I have to admit, I have never been particularly pumped by the Feist’s version of Limit To Your Love. James Blake turned it into schizophrenic dream that will eat the way to your system and stays there flowing in the veins until you fall into the oblivion of alternative world. It seems that BBNG has taken Blake, given him a bitch slap, stripped the tune off of that bass vibration and knitted some smooth jazzy feel into that pattern of liquid honey.
I have no fight to pick with that decision. No objections there. Blake is brilliant but BBNG has modified the tune and made it edible for everyone who find Blake’ s version a bit too much to handle.
Dreamy, schizophrenic, soothing, caressing, shakingly confusing but weirdly calming – this album represents the silent and slightly troubling beauty of Canadian talent. In my world, Fink has just met his adversary what comes to intimate chapel concerts and sad undercurrent in the creation.
The best thing is, if you act fast, you can get your hands on free copy here.
Go on, let the dreams fly free! This is one of the best albums I personally have listened to over the past few months. Brilliant modernisation of jazz and possibly rightful equivalence to Olafur Arnalds and to what he does to classical music. A delight for sure. Hands down!
