Skull Face Loves You

Artist: Kap Bambino
Album: Blacklist
Label: Because Music
Sounds Like: Crystal Castles, Gazormass, HeartsRevolution

Kap Bambino is a fast growing French electropunk band. The band consists of Khima France (a.k.a. Caroline Martial) and Groupgris (a.k.a. Orion Bouvier). Though at a first listen many would deem this band as a generic boy/girl electronic duo, Kap Bambino seems to demand much more than that. Their punk ancestry mixed with their "overwhelmed by fame" shyness seem to make them appear confident without looking pretentious. Or maybe they're just drunk.

Kap Bambino's newest release is Blacklist. While this album is very different from their previous release, the band seems to be trying to refine their sound and create something memorable. They have no doubt achieved this.

The opening track on Blacklist is quite similar to Kap Bambino's first release, Zero Life Night Vision's opening track. Both clock in at around two minutes, and both are instrumental save some cut up syllables thanks to Caroline. The album then continues to sustain a strong level of energy, only breaking for a brief bass solo in "Lezard," until "Rezo Zero" kicks in.

"Rezo Zero" is by far the most unique track on the album. Trading in the punky square/sawtooth bass for a more circus-like lead with an upbeat, happy melody. Despite these differences, this track keeps true to Kap Bambino's style, with a four-to-the-floor, kick-snare-kick-snare drum pattern and a distinct bass line.

The energy then picks up again and holds itself for the rest of the album.

The message of this album is very mixed. Song topics range from social commentary on the use of technology in today's modern society in the song "Bluescreen" to Caroline's love of claustrophobic encounters with her friends on sofas in the song "Human Piles." But by far the most interesting song lyrics belong to "11:38." In this song Caroline sings about unspecified, faceless creatures that only appear at 11:38 pm.

This album shows a very promising new direction for Kap Bambino, without sacrificing their unique sound. It's also great for people who have trouble concentrating, since each song is less than 3:30 minutes.