Bruno Pernadas - Private Reasons Review

SKIPPING STONES, FEET DANGLING OFF THE PIER

There was a certainty here. The idea of an inevitable classic that, wrongly, consumed my thought process. Bruno Pernadas couldn't do wrong. Not after Those Who Throw Objects, one of the previous decade's greatest, most complete albums. Four years to craft elaborate compositions spanning a plethora of tasteful, exotic sub-genres from years gone past. And a stunning lead single to boot, one that played on a loop in ways few Psychedelic Pop records have in recent memory. 75 minutes? Two-parters? Breaking of language barriers? A rich, aesthetic-driven cover? Private Reasons' success was all but assured. Yet, I leave crestfallen by my own imagination. Conventionally, Bruno Pernadas' fourth LP is unmistakably adequate. However, in terms of bridging the gap between past and future - using Space Age Pop as the novel conduit - Private Reasons stammers somewhere in the middle. Enamored by vibrant 60's Psychedelic Pop and it's recent reappearance from acts like Tame Impala, Mid-Air Thief, and Kikagaku Moyo (of whom Pernadas helped produce Masana Temples), the group of masked foxes find equals, rather than embarking down the road less traveled.

Look back on 'Ya Ya Breathe' and one can quickly see why. In contention for Song Of The Decade, the 13-minute exodus went where no song had before, or since. It was progressive, lapping unforgettable sections atop one another, indifferent to commonplace patterns. Quirky, offsetting Pop mannerisms with slight malfunctions and sliced acoustics. And wholly innovative, riddling gaps in the fabric with soap drama samples and crusty percussion sheathed by pounds of sand. Nothing on Private Reasons even attempts to reach such heights, instead resorting to lush, elongated arrangements of Jazz Fusion reminiscent of Worst Summer Ever; 'Step Out Of The Light' being prime example A. Nowhere does this premise fall astray mind you, as gorgeous rays of light permeate a record destined for play on summer beaches. Whether it's the Studio Ghibli-esque instrumental 'Recife' or the sweltering, arid sway of 'Far Beneath Your View,' Pernadas and company take respite in quixotical, tropical perfection. Almost to a detriment, with range hampered by fixated styles. Thankfully, the undulating pace - with vocoder obsession ('Fuzzy Soul'), Spoken Word interludes ('Jory I'), and highfalutin' improvisation ('Jory II') - provide a sense of grace and density, despite the ultimate goal of ambrosial picnic days unwavering.

It's a sumptuous album of pristine, cloudless beauty. But then and again, one needs aberrations to prevent dulling. The moments arrive, here and there, but never amount to all-out whimsicality. Take 'Family Vows' or 'Brio 81,' two of Private Reasons' best, the former for melody the latter tempo, yet the points of distinction merely interrupt the flow rather than contribute to an evolution. With 'Family Vows' it's the group's most intense vocoder work to date, sitting at odds with an otherwise mellifluous song. For 'Brio 81,' teasing military percussion and unconventional vocal interruptions ("arrows, arrows, ash!"), only to retreat into Jam Band characteristics without entertaining the idea of more electronics. Speaking of, where are they? They litter the background but rarely protrude outward, extending Bruno Pernadas' range as Those Who Throw Objects often did. Only 'Theme Vision,' by far the best song here, and 'Jory II,' in all likelihood the second best, spice up the band's beachside purity with some raucous behavior. I can't say enough good things about 'Theme Vision' by the way. It does everything right. Lavish, delectable, and maximal. There's a distinct lack of that level of intensity elsewhere.

All that being said, Private Reasons is a good album. Disappointment is relative, and greatness I did not receive. One can't criticize too harshly when music's as pristine as this. Give it another season and I might feel a different way.