Black Bananas - Electric Black Wall

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 14 / 7 / 2014

Label: Drag City
Format: CD

Unpredictable but gripping fusion of 1970’s rock, funk and electronica on debut album from Black Bananas, the new band of former Royal Trux front-woman Jennifer Herrema

Review

Black Bananas, just like the ones one would normally see past their sell by date in supermarkets, have ripened artificially. The former Royal Trux head woman honcho in this relatively new Chicago bunch though leads her new troupe through a bonanza of unknown proportions. Darker and funkier than ever before, Jennifer Herrema's Black Bananas 'see red' on 'Physical Emotions' which finally shows Prince his place. Slices of 1970’s rock and funk music go into this salami of juicy Chicago grunge. The mix of white punks on dope funk and Doobie Brothers or Isley Brothers works extremely well at the beginning of this album. Next on 'Highway Down' Black Bananas bolt together a brief example of glittered-down sleaze rock from the 1970s.'Electric Brick Wall' oozes with liberated and freaked-out feeling. It succeeds at least to some extent in capturing the mayhem of that past, and blending it with bleeping and dithering electro-digifunk. The soaring slide guitar, similar in fashion to the aforementioned Isley Brothers, brings back this collection from punk to funk. A wall in the truest sense, this debut album proves to be a truly magnificent sound barrier. It is heartening to hear a synthesizer for once not being used as the lazy lead instrument. I honestly had no clue as to where Black Bananas were heading. This crazy, sleazy and warm record is as unpredictable as it is inspiring. Get this LP.

Track Listing:-

1 Powder 8 Eeeeeeeeight
2 Dope On an Island
3 Hey Rockin'
4 Physical Emotions
5 Highway Down
6 Eve's Child
7 Ride the Chump
8 Give It To Me
9 Creeping the Line
10 Old Gold Chain
11 B******t and Lies