Coon is an odd name for a group. Perhaps it means something different in Norwegian, for that is where they’re from. Built around brothers Jørund and Eirik, the album The Art of Mishearing is probably best described as indie dance, quite 90s in style, but with an essentially mellow bent.
Opener, Inbred, reminded me of nothing so much as indie dance funk 90s band Eat. All awkward corners. Brain of Brian is a sweeter tune of loose limbed funk. Perhaps a little early System 7 with those guitars. Sweet MIG-29 reaches even further back into jazz funk territory.
El Nico goes all bossa nova with a Brazilian vocal. Not sure about this one. Anti-Loaf is more on the money, with something almost approaching Fila Brazillia. Greed offers too much kitchen sink. Quase Nunca’s strummed guitars and sweet drifting vocal offer a real album highlight. Perfect for a sunny day or lazing on the beach. Peasy Lemon shows how easy it is for that chilled sense to slip into insubstantialness.
As we approach the end, Peasy Wriggle tries too hard to be loved. A vocal that stretches from falsetto to vocodered and styles from Michel Jackson alike and the worst MCs of the 80s (MC Miker G anyone?). Grandmaster Flash this ain’t. And to close, Still Inbred returns to the indie funk. When the sun’s shining it’s churlish to dislike this album. It’s sweet, eager to please and built for the sunny outdoors.
Blurb: Chill out? Down tempo electronica? Bass-focused digicoustic tracks colored by house, bossa nova, trip/hip-hop, jazz, grunge and funk? And hopefully sufficiently casual. The Art of Mishearing is a collection of tracks with inspiration ranging from the early 90’s basslines of the Red Hot Chili Peppers via Fila Brazillia’s trip hop to old and new South American music. The eclectic representation of musical styles gives the album an interesting variety but in a way it also keeps things together nicely.
Posted in indie, Uncategorized
Tags: coon, downtempo, indie
