BODI BILL - Next Time

Bodi Bill are a German duo who, with this "Next Time", arrive at their second album, preceded only a year earlier by "No More Wars". Since unfortunately it's not possible to find out much else about their past, it's best to get straight to the content of their work. Although there isn't a great deal of material to go on, the pair of musicians have already managed to forge a well-defined musical approach. Devoted to an unusual form of electronic pop with a vaguely soul-inflected voice (an approach made famous by a certain Jamie Lidell), the two operate with great stylistic flexibility, offering up a product that's as varied as it is sparkling.

The opening pairing of "One Or Two" and "Needles" reveals considerable potential: syncopated rhythms, convulsive electronic patterns, a warm and charismatic voice, imaginative detailing and a retro flavour seasoning the whole thing. The sung tracks move nimbly through the perilous clichés of the genre, interspersed with sinuous, ambient-leaning instrumentals that straddle techno and ambient ("Sorry To Disturb You But I'm Lost", "Small Sorrows, Great Songs"). If their love of black soul music is paid tribute to with a playful touch, free of the plague-like earnestness of certain white interpreters, the painstaking care with which the final assembly was conceived deserves genuine praise.

As a final note, it's only natural to praise the overall effort of blending so many influences into a result that's so focused and well executed, elevating "Next Time" to pop surprise of the year, capable of drawing in a very broad and varied audience.

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28/10/2008