Nobunny

La La La La Love You [7-inch] (2012)

John Gentile

Following his artistically successful but sonically wanting MaximumRockNRoll EP, Nobunny strikes back with what is probably his two best songs to date on La La La La Love You.

The self-titled track is everything that's right about classic Nobunny. Propelled by a jumpy, Equals-style snare drum lick, the group tears through a circular English R&B tribute to demented love. Nobunny screams "If I love you / And you do too / Then why are we going out of our mind?" As the song builds in intensity, if fails off the hinges twice: First when a demented circus organ jumps in halfway through and second when the entire band shatters into discordant parts. The best parts of Nobunny's previous works tied together, this is probably the best song that he's recorded.

But, whereas "La La La La Love You" is a summation of Nobunny's ventures to date, "Drei Blondinen" is something completely new. A somber, sluggish number, it plods forward with a shattered piano riff that starts out jagged only to morph into a sweet run of scales. Interestingly, here, Nobunny seems to be the good guy when he consoles "I know they treated you bad / I know they tread you rough / I know it makes you so sad to find out you're not that tough / With a face like that / You should be ruling babe." The song is sparse and weird, yet as it progresses, it feels like a classic pop tune despite its makeup. This too, is probably the best song that he's recorded.

While Nobunny's last LP First Blood was good, it was somewhat underwelming after his dynamite debut Love Visions. Concerns that he had lost his edge, or was out of tricks, began to circulate. Well, If this new single is any forecast, compounded by the vicious MaximumRockNRoll, then his most exciting arc is just around the corner.