by: Sun-J
Damonus Goughugus had set the bar pretty high with his previous LP, The Hour of Bewilderbeat. So the pressure was on for the ever skill confident Badly Drawn Boy. A famed musical genius over in the UK, BDB has yet to prove himself in the states, or rather garner any serious attention. Have You Fed The Fish? seems to be Goughugus’ way of trying to create a cult following in the “home of the free.” There are several similarities that Badly Drawn Boy has formulaically stuck to on the new LP, but there are also a myriad of differences which seem to hinder progress rather than expedite American fame. Mimicking The Hour of Bewliderbeat, Have You Fed The Fish? starts out with a high octane musical evolution before transcending into a melodically laced back-beat instrumental. The title track begins with an interesting piano lick which evolves along with a grand chorus and frenzied midsection. Though, with lyrics such as, "Sometimes you got to rewind to go forward / There's some good time around the corner / But have you fed the fish today," the track as a whole comes off like a Broadway musical. The track “40 Days, 40 Fights” seems to be the standout. Complete with a sick piano loop over some careful percussion, the song keeps the head nodding and feet tapping. “The Further I Slide” has a smooth groovy sink, and “Using Our Feet” continues the trend. It seems BDB starts out the album eerily as usual, yet falls off in the middle only to bring the boogie back and finish strong. A solid album for any artist, but an unusual disappointment from an artist of Damonus’ caliber.
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