Continuing their ambitious goal of releasing a new single each month, the prolific veteran Croydon three-piece returns once again to grace us with their presence.
In keeping with the vibe they’ve established so far, Funny Day is angular, wonky, and fiercely individualistic. It also comes with a surprise or two. Taking cues from indie acts like Los Campesinos! – as is their wont – they have continued on their typical path, but have added a few strings to their bow along the way on this one.
With drums that remind us of the precision and ferocity of The National’s Bryan Devendorf and – later in the song – thick, fuzzy, distorted guitars that bring to mind the work of J. Mascis or Billy Corgan, Funny Day packs a punch that we wouldn’t have necessarily attributed to the band before today.
Peppered with now-trademark lyrical pearls like “you might not talk, but I treasure every message that you send”, “everybody needs a gripe worth fighting for” and “one day you feel like you’re Nick Drake / the next you feel like you’re Nick Cave” – there is more than a touch of Stuart Murdoch about it all. Interestingly, the songwriting seems to flit between personal introspection and outward observation, which is also typical of the Belle & Sebastian frontman.
The way My Best Unbeaten Brother fuses elements of the acts that obviously inspire them into something unique and exciting never ceases to be compelling and captivating, but they just may have outdone themselves on this one.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
