The True Story Of Bananagun

Representing yet another vibrant hue of Melbournes thriving psychedelic scene are Bananagun, a lively five-piece combo whose arrangements are woven with the sounds of vintage Tropicalia, Afrobeat, garage rock, and sunshine pop. Born out of the demos of eccentric helmsman Nick Van Bakel, the group made some early fans with an independent single Do Yeah, which netted them a label deal with Full Time Hobby for their 2019 EP of the same name. While those songs were largely the work of Van Bakel himself, their 2020 debut, The True Story of Bananagun, is touted as being their first official full-band effort. Citing a disparate array of influences from tonsured garage maniacs the Monks and Brazilian pysch-pop pioneers Os Mutantes to 90s hip-hop, Van Bakel and his crew manage a remarkably cohesive, if somewhat busy collection that ultimately pleases. Given their inspirations, its no surprise that Bananagun place a major emphasis on rhythm and percussion. Opener Bang Go the Bongos speaks for itself, and the brief interlude Bird Up! is essentially a drum circle with bird sounds. Elsewhere, a joyous cacophony of hand drums, rattles, and Latin specialties like the cuica decorates nearly every song on the album, adding a nice flair. The songwriting ranges in complexity from circular jams like the Afro-pop romp People Talk Too Much to more nuanced melodic pop like the breezy Perfect Stranger, with plenty of stops in between, including the quirky trans-positive ode She Now, a surprising highlight with several twists and turns. Mushroom Bomb feels both sonically and thematically stuck in the past, but Modern Day Problems pits its muscular U.K.-inspired psych-rock against more contemporary concerns and ends with a cheeky nod to the original 007 theme. Like so many 21st century psych-inspired bands, Bananagun lean awfully heavily into their love of a very specific era, but theyve nonetheless made an exceedingly fun record with plenty of craft behind it. ~ Timothy Monger