EP review by KevW
This article also appears on http://www.soundsxp.com
The term 'experimental' is widely overused and misused when reviewing music, and I'm sure I'm as guilty as the next man. A four-piece guitar band adding some synths to their second album does not constitute being 'experimental', in fact it's about as experimental as adding Worcester sauce to your cheese on toast instead of having it plain. With confidence and conviction I'm more than happy to describe this debut EP by London collective Super Best Friends Club as experimental. There's an awful lot to digest here, dozens of ideas are thrown in the pot, and most likely a kitchen sink or two for good measure.
'Evolution' begins as a Kratrock/free jazz fusion with chattering voices crawling all over it before bhangra and samba influences are allowed to flourish briefly until it finally morphs back into territories first explored by Frank Zappa. 'Sunshine, Super Megatron!' is a proper voyage of discovery, taking in dub, drum and bass, trip hop and then switching to a surreal, proggy narrative punctuated by squalling brass interludes and bizarre soundscapes that would have The Flaming Lips scratching their heads.
It's difficult to work out exactly what they feed their drummer, but nitrous oxide is as good a guess as any. 'Universe Universe' flits about all over the place with more tempo changes than Status Quo's entire career (that's probably not hard actually) and a vocal breakdown borrowed from The Beta Band. Closing track 'People We Forget This Is Love' encompasses all that's gone before; offbeat drumming, a cacophony of voices and the occasional glimpse of a pop melody breaking through. It sounds as though Super Best Friends Club had a riot creating this EP and it's certainly fun to listen to, although give it a miss if you have a hangover or it may feel as though your brain is melting.
Super Best Friends Club's website
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