Bananagun

Bananagun’s already spent a good deal of time on the site, but now the full force of Why Is The Colour of the Sky? is out in the world and it’s time to let it wash over the speakers. The Aussie outfit returns, still in thrall with rhythm and the psychedelic splash, but with a darker tone that’s less apt to splay in the sun. The band’s previous album found them immersed in Cumbia and Tropicalia — shades of Os Mutantes and Sergio Mendes meshing with their love of ‘60s curios like Ultimate Spinach. The new record rifles further through the freakbeat corners of the cupboard, leaking a good dose of fuzz and exploration into their bedrock of jazz-psych. This time around Kaleidoscope tangles with Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, while flirting with Herbie Mann.

The shift finds the band freed from some of their old moorings. The last album was assembled siloed away from one another, a result of it’s pandemic-adjacent release. For the follow-up the band spent more time fleshing things out in the studio, jamming out parts until they were wound tight with flutes and funk. The difference can be felt from the first moments on Why Is The Colour of the Sky?, a record that can’t help but feel looser than its predecessor. Moments of groove lock the album in place, but its the times that they let the jazz instincts get gooey that the most fun moments reveal themselves. The breakdowns on “Feeding The Moon,” and “Hippopotamusic” find Bananagun getting lost in the fusion of psych and jazz, at the tipping point of prog without dipping into the deep end. The progression is a welcome shift, a target that hopefully continues as the band heads onto new horizons.

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