Nearly twenty five years into their storied underground career The Residents return with one of the most ambitious albums to date, The Bunny Boy. The album is a twisted tale that brings to life a series of online videos the band have offered. It’s the desperate tale of a boy looking for his lost sibling in some very odd ways. It has a creepy vine that brings to mind their amazing Tweedles album but takes it a few steps further and adds a psychotic Willard flavor to the mix.
What I love about this band is simply that they obey all the rules while breaking them all. It sounds odd but it really is true. At its heart these are pop songs but they are interpreted through seriously twisted minds that happen to be stellar musicians. While this maybe isn’t Pet Sounds or Dark Side of the Moon, it’s certainly on the path that led to them, just a little farther down it. Highlights include the amazing guitar work on “Secret Room,” the eloquent and semi-accessible “My Nigerian Friend,” and the downright scary “Pictures From a Little Girl.”
The Residents really go all on telling this tale through a weird mix of pop music and avant-garde noises that really have no contemporaries. “Boxes of Armageddon,” “Butcher Shop,” and “The Dark Man” are more than a little creepy and the entire album takes a lot of absorbing. Those who do not wish to invest themselves in a band shouldn’t waste their time with The Bunny Boy but those willing to soak it all in for awhile instead of rushing to judgment will undoubtedly discover the brilliance of this album. If you are looking for something different to check out then look no farther than this album.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
