Music Review // NO BRA – Candy
Imagine you’re on a date
with The Devil himself, want would you do? Would you go to the best restaurant in
the neighbourhood and bask in its low lit glory and discuss your sexual fantasies? It’s
one of those questions that is hard to find an answer to and on No Bra’s second
album Candy, coming to vinyl soon courtesy of NYC’s Address label, it’s
answered quite effectively in the form of a song.
Indeed, if you’re in any
way sexually adventurous this brilliantly straight to the point but very clever
album will no doubt strike a chord. Perhaps it might seem odd to equate sex
with music preferences but in this case it’s a good route as most of the album
concerns that very subject.
But don’t think this is a
smut smeared sex tape in vinyl form – far from it! No Bra produces music that
is compellingly intelligent and never less than eye opening. When describing
this music to an acquaintance we suggested it was the type you may hear at a
very intellectual underground sex club. And, it’s not far from the truth in
many ways.
Susanne Oberbeck’s No Bra
is a sharp witted, compelling performer with the fantasies described in the
songs often darkly funny yet suggested in the most distant and observational
manner possible. But the dark side is
very evident in the way a human quality is imbued into the No Wave cool of the
whole album. There is poetry here and some it is straight from the gutter in
the most beautiful way possible on an album like this.
Opener Minger poses the
question of just how easy it would be take someone’s life away, Over a musical
back drop so simple it’s disturbingly effective she asks ‘How would you feel if
I took your Minger away from you/ It would be so easy…” before adding “you
would have to sleep in a bed of rubbish next to a church” in the most straight faced
tone. In a similar vein, the industrial
jazz toned Construction Worker questions the possibility of coming onto a
construction worker and getting arrested for it. It asserts the sexual fantasy
lead narrative supremely, the declaration ‘I fuck biology, why can’t I fuck you
in the loo’ never said in such a thoughtful tone.
Date with the Devil is a
sardonic three minute highlight that mixes philosophy with sexual fantasy in
the most listenable manner since Prince.
But beneath the clever imagery and wordplay is a morality that compels –
the Devil confesses he became the Devil when he became tired of society,
deciding to use people in the process. But lyrics aside though, the music on
Candy is minimalist in its No Wave imbued production, played in a pleasingly
dispassionate manner but never less than essential listening.
As an album Candy is well
worth your time – and if you’re in need of an alternative sex education then
this may well be it. Oberbeck’s performance is unique and if No Bra does come
to town, then make sure to catch a live gig that is truly different! In the
meantime listen to a record that will have addicted and you won’t really be
sure why…
Reviewed by Sebastian
Gahan. Candy is released 24/02/14 on Address in vinyl format.