Kero Kero Bonito
Time 'n' Place

Today I'm making an exception to talk about an album that isn't exactly new - it was released six months ago - but is by a young and incredibly interesting band that shouldn't and can't be missed on this site: Kero Kero Bonito.

I adore these three. Two genius nerds (Gus Lobban & Jamie Bulled) accompanied by a quirky, charming girl named Sarah Midori Perry. If then the girl in question is half-British and half-Japanese and her voice is a crossover between cotton candy and oriental sensuality, you've hit the jackpot.

In 2016, they released "Bonito Generation": as someone said, the favorite album of those who eat Nutella with a spoon; a joyful, carefree, and as bubbly as few others, representing a happy youth. "Time 'n' Place", on the other hand, represents growth, the entry into adult life.

The sonic assault of the opener "Outside" is enough to make us understand that KKB have a clear idea: away with the videogame music influences of the old single "Flamingo", away with the Japanese language, almost entirely away with the hip hop influences for a less optimistic, more reflective, more varied, mature, and complex record. Don't be fooled: our trio still sounds Pop, and the joie de vivre and sweetness are certainly not lacking, but they are somehow tempered, mitigated by the personal growth of the musicians themselves. Perhaps the most representative track of the new direction is the splendid "Only Acting": a song that reflects on performing, which sounds pop, catchy, and happy, yet contains purely noise sections and samples of wild screams, which has led some to define KKB as the Doki Doki Literature Club in music.

I don't want to go on too long, but invite you to listen: "Time 'n' Place" is a little masterpiece, enriched by fabulous tracks like "Time Today", the aforementioned "Only Acting", the sugary "Make Believe", the introspective "Dear Future Self", and a "Swimming" tinged with mild melancholy. I eagerly await the next work from these three gutsy young people.

I'm in love.