Fuck Bunny’s a Swine – Bunny’s a Swine (Free 7″ Download)
Nothing Bad Will Happen, Bunny’s A Swine’s 13 track LP, is a booze-fueled fun fest that sounds like waking up on a hard-wood floor covered in empty beer bottles. The trio from North Hampton, MA make no effort to hide their regional influences (the Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. are all over this jawn) which, admittedly, is perfectly fine with me. A consistent and heart pounding drumming style paired with reverb-filled, bouncing guitar riffs give Nothing Bad Will Happen a uniquely familiar sound reminiscent of the 90s.
Immediately noticeable on the album is the flailing yet strangely melodic wail of front man Emerson Stevens. It wouldn’t be a stretch to mistake Nothing Bad Will Happen with a new Hold Steady record, assuming the Brooklyn band had thrown out their Springsteen playbook. He really shines on “Valium Bread”, where his frantic, anxious singing combined with guitarist Candace Clement’s atmospheric and ethereal backing vocals create a sort of beautiful anti-harmony. Standing alone, each of the respective vocal tracks would sound pretty run-of-the-mill, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
“Moose-Cow”, a four minute autobiographical track is probably the band’s finest work. Soft-topic lyrics about making too much noise and having too much prove charming and enjoyable, while musically, the composition is textbook powerpop with a ton of personality.
At 13 tracks, the record can run a little long if you’re not completely immersed in the music. Also, some tracks, such as “Stretch the Neck Out”, can sound a bit too much like the band is channeling Kings of Leon. Overall though, Bunny’s A Swine show a ton of self-awareness on the record, and the result is much more than satisfying.
