by Conor Lochrie (@conornoconnor)
Bananagun are another example of a Melbourne band producing an excellent record in 2020 but they are of the city only by trade and not by sound. In truth, their sound belongs to no one place or genre or era: Bananagun have cast their net in search of joyous influences far and wide and The True Story Of Bananagun is the result.
The band was started by multi-instrumentalist Nick Van Bakel - by the culmination of the record’s forty minutes he’ll have played the flute, trumpet, and harpsichord - and now also features Jack Crook (guitar), Charlotte Tobin (percussion), Josh Dans (bass guitar), Pierce Morton (alto saxophone), Miles Bedford (tenor saxophone), and Zoe Fox (voice).
To listen to Bananagun is to travel the world under an invigorating blend of inspiration. They are the youth basking in the glow of old styles: there are African grooves, drum and bass beats, tropicalia, and ‘60s psychedelic pop; it’s a credit to the band that their sonic melange settles so well as a whole. The record feels like the creation of keen music crate fans, as if the members brought together their mountains of dusty old vinyl and decided to pick up their instruments to recreate and reimagine them. Indeed, the very title of the album conjures notions of some forgotten and under-appreciated ‘60s psychedelic band’s mid-career retrospective album; it’s not and what’s more remarkable is that Bananagun have wittily deigned to give this name to their debut full-length release.
The band’s press pictures are replete with vivid styles and colorful backgrounds and their record matches this. Each song secretes relentless energy and boundless dynamism. “Bang Go The Bongos” instantly introduces a wondrous tropicality as Van Bakel sings “there is nothing special about me / just another apple on the tree”. “The Master” then swings and sways with a divine coolness that would take other bands years to find.
The vocals are rarely prominent, instead acting as just another instrument to be wielded as part of the collective mission. The flute is heard prominently on tracks like the summery “Perfect Stranger” and closer “Taking The Present For Granted,” while afrobeat surges through “People Talk Too Much”.
There is a hyperactivity to what Bananagun does, like the child who could never sit still in gym class. The loud “Freak Machine” somehow mixes funk beats with mystical folk harmonies. There are also the weirder compositions like “She Now,” a George Harrison-indebted woozy-pop effort as well as the strange little track “Bird Up!,” sounding barely rehearsed, containing a mere drum rhythm and tropical bird noises.
“Out Of Reach” was the lead single and it’s clear why. A smooth concoction of soul, pop, and tropicalia, it bounces with congas, bubbling guitars, before bursting into a saxophone groove at its finish. It’s the defining song of the entire album and will be the most replayed.
With less skilled control, The True Story Of Bananagun could have been another uninspiring psychedelic pop homage record but it’s the band’s wide expanses and commitment to its eclectic influences that ensure it doesn’t fall into such a trap; it’s also why Bananagun’s album is one of the strongest debuts of this or any other year.