MJB
"Bad Faith" CDR
Semper
Lofi
Genres: hometaper, lo-fi, pop
Feb 2 - 8 2004 |
Semper Lofi Recordings, a long-running, prolific micro-label run by
hometaper Michael J. Bowman (aka MJB), is, apparently,
dead. Or maybe it isn't. It's hard to tell. But
either way, Bad Faith, MJB's recent album, is available
for purchase ($5 ppd) or trade, and hometaper fans ought to take
notice. Though music is only a hobby for MJB, he does it well.
Better than many who do it for a living, in fact. His recordings
are all of low sonic quality, featuring lots of tape fuzz and
background noise, but that's all part of the allure. His
pleasant pop tunes always seem to rise above the recording restraints
and offer the listener a great musical experience, packed with
lovely melodies and pleasant atmospheres.
Bad Faith starts with the very strong "Letdown,"
an almost creepy pop tune with whispered vocals, hushed percussion,
and strong, acoustic guitar. It sounds like the Hi-tech
songs on the second Swallowed By Machinery compilation, if that
means anything to anyone. "Fake Rock," meanwhile, is a
spacey folk-pop tune with a beautifully distant melody. Neat
tape effects are used to give it an experimental texture.
"Hey 40" could be the most accessible track on here; it's a joyously funny song about
turning forty.
In addition to its pop tunes, Bad Faith
also boasts a few experimental pieces. "MM Hop," for
example, lays a rant over a background guitar/percussion groove.
Meanwhile, the album's finale, "Moon," starts off as a pop
tune but quickly becomes a plunderphonics-based sound collage.
Bad Faith is worth the price of admission for those of you
with an affinity for bedroom-recorded hometaper material. How
can you not enjoy this?
86%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 9 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
