When most bands ‘go pop’ it tends to involve moving away from music as visceral as this.
Whilst Kap Bambino’s third album is indeed a move towards a more commercial sound, their existing fans should not worry about any compromises made: ‘Blacklist’ is as aggressive as anything the French duo have made before, just with an added layer of gloss.
Cynics may suggest the success of Crystal Castles last year could have prompted this move towards the mainstream, and when listening to the glitch punk thrashings it’s sometimes hard to disagree. However, as Kap Bambimo’s followers will tell you, the band have been around far longer than their Canadian peers, and that the duplication insults might be best directed elsewhere. Imitation is a form of flattery though, and the likes of ‘Dead Lazers’ and ‘Lezard’ add bouncing techno beats to the 8-bit bleeps that characterised their aforementioned counterparts. Synths and electronics thump away relentlessly throughout ‘Blacklist’: from the opening one-two of the title track and ‘11:38’, the industrial pounding ceases to resist until reaching a vicious climax on ‘Acid Eyes’. The incessant pace and lo-fi production may cause ears regularly treated to Fleet Foxes to lacerate and bleed profusely.
Unlike the duo’s 2007 album ‘Zero Life, Night Vision’, this new album displays a more introspective and additional genteel side when it needs to. The rapid BPM is brought down a significant amount on ‘Blue Screen’, a track that could almost be described as ballad-like, whilst ‘Plague’ is another slow one; though in Kap Bam’ language that means looping and distorting Caroline Martial’s vocals to indistinguishable levels and rocketing them into a stratosphere of twinkles and bleeps. Ultimately your decision on this album hinges on your level of endurance. As a live band the pair certainly succeed, as their energy transfers to the audience and the bellicose nature of the music is conveyed better in a personal environment. On record that connection is lost to an extent, so it becomes a contest of how long you can enjoy listening to the same style of song over and over.
It might not be beautiful or subtle, but Kap Bambino work like gangland soldiers: they have a sole intention and carry it out with minimal commotion, remaining tantalisingly short and effortlessly violent.
7/10
Words: David Renshaw
