Words by Andy Ono
Amongst ’80s bands to re-emerge from the ashes, Ian McCullough and Will Sergeant at best have managed to provide us with the New Order album we’ve all been waiting for – sorry Bernie. Sorry Peter. Echo and the Bunnymen’s 11th studio album The Fountain presents a contrary to their previous ragers like the modern classics ”Stars are Stars,” ”Killing Moon,” or ”All My Colours.” Yep, that’s right. Ian and the gang have decided to trade in their sweeping bangs, long trench coats, and Demeulemeester boots for star-brite dreamy guitar leads, warm basslines, and M83-esque drum beats. However, the “Everlasting Neverendless” sfumato de negra from an acclaimed 1985 masterpiece Ocean Rain still lingers within this Liverpool’s band’s aura.
These days, the Bunnymen have amounted to more than whispered legends on the tongues of modern music’s upper echelon. You ever listen to Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and wonder “Those ‘pipes’! That voice!” Well, he didn’t pull it from his ass, that’s for sure. Since their inspiring start in 1978 to current, Echo and the Bunnymen have oozed romantically euphoric trails of sound into the open-eared public – all awaiting a fix. Some kind of elixir told to heal the soul, but only heard from the stereobox. Once more, they’ve arrived with another great remedy.
After pressing play, you’ll find yourself blissfully attended by the nostalgic warmth once shared by Bowie and Nico. Each song is paired with a spoken imagery of “Mountains High” and the fading moments of “Time” as per the album’s self-titled track. As I unravel this album, something lends itself to the familiar fondness of the new wave sound. Something familiar like the very first time I heard The Jesus & Mary Chains‘ “Sowing Seeds” or “Soft As Snow” by My Bloody Valentine. Or maybe it’s the Bunnymen’s cleverly cathartic attempt to project their personal doctrine of joy, beauty, and life that translates such a friendly relationship. At the very spine of the album, lies a melodic examination of the soul in “Idolness of Gods”. To McCullough, it’s about confrontation and “soul baring”, yet it sounds more like a plea for sympathy in a Richard Hawley vocal manner. Mac’ explains his appeal as a result from being born from natural confidence. “If the world was half as man as me/if that could ever be/I’d say the world was crazy.”
What began as sound experimenting between Sergeant and Mac, laid the primary groundwork for the album’s shimmering rock-ready anthems, “Forgotten Fields” and “Think I Need It Too”. One thing is certain, you’d probably never expect a 31-year-old band to sound this cool and have such unique appeal to what’s rad nowadays. Usually, I find it hard to support a lot of the bands that I grew up listening to for fear that they’ll eventually turn into shit… or Bono. In this case however, I am in no way disappointed. The Bunnymen have managed to create a sound that balances their relativity to the current indie and major music scenes.
A few things must be said about this album. It’s good. It’s no rager, but you’ll definitely find yourself making moves or making out to it. Unlike their ’80s peers, Depeche Mode, Echo and The Bunnymen’s The Fountain has all the trimmings and fillings to be one the year’s most unexpected triumphant returns. No doubt about it, The Fountain finds me somewhere between my own personal nostalgic occurrences of sex-and-drug-induced weekends over a John Hughes film (Ocean Rain Records, 2009).
