LUIZ BRUNO – Chicken Dinner
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Some days I find myself longing for that special kind of music that still manages to move something deep within me. After more than forty years of listening intently to all kinds of genres, it’s getting harder to find that one special gem, and then you stumble across it when you least expect it. Luiz Bruno is a Brazilian musician who started a little over twenty years ago in a couple of bands, then relocated to London in England and has been releasing albums under his own name since 2018. If I am not mistaken, Chicken Dinner will be his sixth solo album, which has been recorded, apart from a drum part on one song, all by himself. It’s maybe not that hard to describe the songs. They combine a sixties infused psychedelic pop sound with a lo-fi attitude, full of electronic playfulness. All of this should make you curious already, but what makes Chicken Dinner a winner – to paraphrase the lyrics of the short title track – is the incredibly great songwriting that is superior to mostly everything released these last few years. Luiz Bruno is a gifted artist who just comes up with the most unforgettable melodies, then puts them through a mangler that makes then sound as if the tapes had been lying in the sun for a little too long. But it’s this nod to outsider music which elevates the whole product to a whole different level. Maybe a little like Daniel Johnston in his prime, crunching out the most moving songs recorded with modest means. The album starts with the melancholic Kids Vaping On The Double Decker Bus, a mellow guitar driven track with lots of electronic bubbling happening in the background. The lyrics are very personal, and kind of deep, and also strike a chord with me. The following Marathon Mike is a more upbeat track taking an ironic look at the modern fitness craze. The vocals feel pitched higher, giving the song a cartoonish feeling. More social critique comes with the ballad Ozempic Is Taking Over The World, deploring a vapid superficial society fed on social media which selflessly robs diabetics of a life-saving drug just to easily shed a few kilograms. He’s A Coach is another deep stab at the kind of right-wing conspiracy nuts who believe, just because they have been reading Jordan Peterson and listening to Joe Rogan, that they can help people better themselves. Don’t we all know crazies like that? The album continues with mostly short tracks that combine perfect pop songwriting with insightful lyrics and a lo-fi aesthetic that make me believe in the future of music, something which I lost after Ariel Pink and John Maus joined the January 6 rally at the Capitol. Luiz Bruno cites Os Mutantes, Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett, Ween, Captain Beefheart, Mort Garson, Bruce Haack, Frank Zappa, Devo, The Ramones, Tiny Tim and The Flaming Lips among his influences. This eclectic mix of avantgarde, punk and electronic artists help explain the greatness of his music. The album also reminded me of lo-fi DIY pioneer R. Stevie Moore’s best work. If you are tired of the sameness of most popular music, the heady mix of catchy lo-fi psyche pop on Chicken Dinner will conjure a large smile on your face. |
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17 songs |
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45:00 minutes |
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***** ***** |
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Genre: lo-fi psychedelic pop Label: 1Selo |
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