Part of me wants to shit on Bunky, part of me wants to hug them. Their brand of eccentric pop comes across with a rare sense of bright eyed enthusiasm. They aren't afraid to juxtapose syrupy ballads against distortion freak outs. Their sense of pace and sequencing is nearly flawless; yes, it's safe to say that pop music is rarely so dynamic. Oh, and they like to use horns. It all sounds pretty good in writing, and to be fair, it doesn't sound bad on tape. A certain earnestness permeates Born To Be a Motorcycle for sure, but this naïve delight isn't innate in Bunky's actual tunes. It's in their delivery, and when listening, you get a distinct sense of the bands ambition. They want to make a fucking awesome album, and they are overjoyed to have that opportunity. Therein lies Born to Be a Motorcycle's greatest strength and weakness. A band's most alluring quality is often their downfall, and indeed, Bunky's ambition leans towards 'over-calculated-pop-genius,' which I'm sure some of you will have no problem with. For me, the grab bag of mechanics is a lot of fun at first, but gets dull rather quick. A few great compositions eventually bring Born to Be a Motorcycle down to earth, saving it from novelty, but they aren't quite enough to keep me listening. Of course, if eclectic pop is your thing, then Bunky will make your fucking day. The rest of us will have to wait for the next Starlight Mints album.
1. Baba
2. Yes/No
3. Funny Like the Moon
4. Gotta Pee
5. Boy/Girl
6. Chuy
7. Cute Not Beautiful
8. Glass of Water
9. Heartbunk
10. Lipstick Life
More about: Bunky
