This is the purportedly the last recording by London-based producer Simon Smerdon under his Mothboy moniker. Under this banner, he has garnered attention in the intermingled communities of breakcore, electronica and dubstep; but it’s time to retire the Mothboy, as Simon is no longer a boy, and assumedly doesn’ have dusty wings, either.
If I’d penned this review after a few casual listens, I would have slagged it off – something along the lines of “some great singles, but doesn’ work well as an album’. And as this is something that can be levelled at so many electronic artists he’ in good company – Great 12′ for The Dance, but albums! Fugedaboutit! But I didn’ pen this review after a few casual listens; I let it percolate around in my consciousness for a number of weeks, delving back into it, challenging my initial perceptions….
So, where does that leave the review, when the reviewer cannot come to any definitive conclusions? I suppose, dear reader that you’ll have to use your own discretionary powers to ultimately decide if you want to enter Mothboy’ world. But for me, it’s a world that has become increasingly enjoyable after accepting the fact that I didn’ want to like this album, but there are some seriously banging tunes on Bunny. And that’s what counts, right?
Move, featuring Equivalent on the mic starts of proceedings in a decidedly New York state of mind, with the MC’ exaltations to “Get on the Floor!’ suiting this low-slung party number down to the ground. You/Me, I Can’ Wait Until Tomorrow Night & Glow are all great representations of where the UK bass music continuum has headed for during the first decade of the 21st century – disembodied handclaps, rumbling b-lines and pointillist details on the high end. UK MC Akira the Don has accompanied Mothboy on all of his albums, and Johnny Nemo brings the focus back across the Atlantic with a cheeky, slightly messy, self-referential rap; “Mothboy, the game needs youâ€.
The sticking point with my initial assessment of Bunny rears its head on synthetic cock-rock effort My Love and the rolling Rhythm & Blues textures (complete with a overabundance of wah wah guitars) of Cala Martina. Supposedly Simon is heading in a more band-based direction, but on the strength of this piece, maybe he needs to heed Akira’ abovementioned advice? Simon’ Indie leanings are also given their head with ex-Boo Radley’ lead singer Martin Carr, guesting on Version Two (Pontcanna Stone) – although the beats, bass and space echo are anything but Indie. I seriously doubt that Martin ever had much call to use the term “I and I’ in his previous outfit, although I recall that their first album was called “Ichabod and Iâ€, so maybes I’m wrong on that count.
With the musical universe expanding at an exponential rate, and artists being influenced from so many disparate directions, synthesizing these influences into a coherent album can be a challenge. On the strength of Bunny, Mothboy hasn’ really come up with anything startlingly original or innovative, but as a swan song to a period in an artist’s development, and a scenes genesis from its London-centric routes to universal ubiquity, this Bunny might well have sharp teeth after all.
Oliver Laing
