Album Review: Mike Nunes - "The Bloody LoFi"
I’m 87% sure this album is good. It’s very obvious that Mike Nunes knows what he’s doing when it comes to writing instrumental music. I’m not sure however, that I’m convinced he knows 100% how to record it yet, but really, that’s the kind of thing that just smoothes itself out over time. These songs are wonderfully written pieces of music that have texture and warmth, the kind I haven’t really heard since Air and Low were making music regularly, but there is a place about 2:13 into the first track, [A-1], where the volumes just jump on certain things. It’s a technical blip, not a musical one, but these kinds of flubs are scattered throughout the album sort of catching my ear every time and distracting me from the actual music, which to be honest, is fucking unreal.
It’s nothing crazy, just some weird level stuff and a couple pops or clicks here and there. The instruments all sound great, and I’m very impressed with the drum sound. When you are an artist who records at home, you have to make sure that what’s going directly into the mic sounds proper, because there isn’t too much you can do about it after wards. No set of plug-ins can fix a noisy channel or a bad take.
Things sort of a take a more energetic turn by [A-3], and it’s incredible how well Mike can play each instrument on the recording but make it sound like a live band coming right off the floor. Most of the songs work well on their own as instrumentals, but a few would really lend themselves to some vocals. [B-4] for instance feels like a real good, lo-fi rocker a la Spoon or Deerhunter, but they never happen. Maybe next time.
Home recording has opened the doors for anyone with a microphone and the internet to unleash their inner artist. While the web is over saturated with people that probably should have kept it in the bedroom a little longer, once in a while you get a Chad Van Gaalen or an Ariel Pink and suddenly you realize that when all the elements are there, home recording can really bring out great things from people. Mike Nunes is on the right track, he’s just got to sand those technical edges, and keep the musical ones as sharp as they are.
http://mnorthebloodylofi.bandcamp.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thebloodylofi
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