Kero Kero Bonito - Time 'n' Place (2018)
Genre: Dream Pop, Twee Pop, Synth Pop, Noise Pop
As much as I loved their debut for its bubblegum-like, upbeat and catchy tunes, their sophomore effort brings about a new sound that I have eagerly embraced. As a reminder, I do not intend
for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick
personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be
objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the
final grade.
Figuratively, I think I'm falling in love with this group. Never in recent memory has a group managed to divert from their original sound as much as KKB have done and still manage to be every bit as good in my ears. On this sophomore effort, the group seems to embrace a much more mature and experimental sound, with some songs like Outside and Only Acting making use of some very tasty distorted guitar riffs. The later song also demonstrates the group's willingness to approach noise music, as there's lots of off-handed breaks and aggressive synth use near the end of it.
Even though there has been a shift in style, there's some qualities to be found here that are still very much standard of KKB. For one, the synth use is still very much prominent here, and while it is more heavily used in more experimental contexts, it's still used quite well in more mellow songs such as Dump and more upbeat tracks like Make Believe. And while J-pop influences seem to be rather non-existent for the most part, the spirit of their debut's cheerfulness it still aplenty here.
Personally, a huge part of this trio's charm comes from their lyrics, which have always seemed to deal with many of the simple things in life. This is no exception here, as we get some very sweet and cutesy songwriting with themes ranging from how busy one's life can be, thinking back on missed opportunities, and picking yourself up when you're done. The latter is the theme of Sometimes, which almost plays out like a campfire song, upbeat acoustic guitar playing and all. It's incredibly sweet and infectious.
Many fans may not exactly enjoy the new switch in style that KKB have demonstrated on this project, but I for one find it a welcome one. The fun and insanely catchy songs on here, some of which transition very smoothly into each other, all resonating with a mixture of interesting instrumentation and Sarah Bonito's pleasing voice, make this one incredibly satisfying record. I guess if I had to nitpick, the closing track Rest Stop was maybe a bit too experimental for its own good, as halfway through it just seemed like Sarah was quietly singing over some seemingly random noises. It certainly doesn't bring down the album's overall quality though, especially considering that this only plays out for about a minute at the very end. With that said, I still very much believe that this was one of the best albums of 2018, period.
A+
Favorite Tracks: Only Acting, Flyway, Make Believe, Dear Future Self, Visiting Hours, If I'd Known, Sometimes
Least Favorite Track: Rest Stop
