The Residents - Bunny Boy [Santa Dog Records - 2008]After the rather disappointing radio play like last album The voice of Midnight, The Resident’s return in fine bizarre, surreal and distintict yet memorable song form with Bunny Boy;their 25th album in a career that’s spanned over 35 years of experimental music. As with every Resident's album this is very concept based this time around its about a friend of The Residents whose nick-name is Bunny Boy and who after sending in a series of bizarre video footage to the group’s mysterious base promptly disappeared off the face of the earth. As always the highly arty and strange album booklet really enhancers the Sonics of the album; been filled with pictures from Bunny Boys sinister and freaky lair, plus of course full lyrics for all the songs. Sound wise it has quite an electronica and almost bizarre glighty type edge running the material which is as uselly a bizarre mixture of demented pop, Broadway musical, soundtrack, jarring caustic guitars and various genre traits that are all to boiled up into sound that is completely and utterly The Residents own. The tracks this time around are for the most part kept fairly short and sharp with a lot of them been very memorable, hence the comparisons made in the press releash to their seminnal slice of 70’s pop oddness Duck Stab. Though this is far from a throw back or copy of Duck Stab, Bunny Boy is of it’s time showing new and modern elements along with various sonic traces from all through out their long & celebrated avant garde career. Another strange and wonderful chapter in the career of this truly original and inventive Us project. I can see this very much picking up new converts to The Resident's strange sonic cause, yet at the same time been very rewarding to long term devotes too. Really I can’t think any other artists who are still creating such inspired, inventive and vibrate material 35 years into their career- one of this years highlights and another career high. Roger Batty
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