I reviewed Kingbastard’s “Brainfunk” EP in the summer of last year and found it to be pleasant and cheerful, if not necessarily the most important thing I have ever listened to. Well “Lost Property” is a new full length album on Herb Recordings that is themed around the discovery of an abandoned house while mooching round the Welsh countryside. I got shouted at last time for saying that Chris Weekes AKA Kingbastard used samples on the “Brainfunk” EP, so I am going to attempt to get everything right in this review. A Herculean task for me but here we go.
The album features ghostly vocals, chiming guitar lines and more lo-fi snap, crackle and pop than if Rice Krispies were to start making those cereal elves smoke dope. Are they elves or goblins ? Do they poop in the packet ? So many questions. Whereas “Brainfunk” was a solid song based affair, “Lost Property” is an ethereal ambient journey that steers a wobbly line somewhere between the influences of Brian Eno, The Orb and Ry Cooder. The ambient drone of “Abandoned”, the fuzzy BoC meets prog rock electronica of “Fireplace” or the vaguely haunted “Rocking Chair” define the tone of this album best for me. Somehow or other Kingbastard has managed to accurately convey the (mostly) nice feelings I would associate with wandering round a decrepit house in the middle of nowhere. Or maybe if I had been told it was written about an underwater clown show I would have felt like it accurately reflected that as a listening experience. Without wanting to argue with myself in public I suppose what I’m saying is that this is an ambient album in the best sense of the word. It makes you feel like you’re somewhere else. Somewhere nice. There’s nothing mindblowing about the simple strummed guitar chords that decorate “Detached” but if you listen to it with your eyes closed its like being encased in a ski suit made of hot jam. Now I’ve tried for years to find such an item but I can’t so I’m happy someone has invented the audio equivalent.
And so it goes. Song after song of warm dreamy tunes until you’re floating round in a bit of a daze. Then the album ends and you sort of miss it a bit. But it’s ok because it’s still there and you can listen to it when you like.
http://herbrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/lost-property
Kim Monaghan
[…] and piano, and pastoral atmospheres await the Lost Property listener…” SITTING NOW: Review “…Song after song of warm dreamy tunes until you’re floating round in a bit of a […]