N A M B's Bman

I have no idea what to make of Italian band N.A.M.B. This strange group of musicians seem to try and cram as much music as possible into every song all at once, so you're left with your head spinning wondering what in the world you've just heard. One listen to their album, BMAN, and you'll see what I'm talking about. It's a sonic adventure that plays out like a choose your own adventure except instead of fighting monsters and dying, you'll either be bent over in aural fatigue or left with a raging headache.

Sung in English, Italian, and lord only knows what else, BMAN knows no boundaries, be it language or genre. Call them confused, call them geniuses, call them whatever, just don't call them ordinary. Perhaps sounding like The Coral if they were metal, Nine Inch Nails if they were a carnival act or Muse if they did loads of hallucinogens the band runs free without a care in the musical world. Riffs, horns, vibes, whatever, they all come at you from different directions at the same time. The result is an aural attack that plays out like an episode of Lost, confusing but completely engrossing.

I don't think there's one catchy song on BMAN. Instead, you have a record that's an amalgamation of sounds, ideas, and instruments clashing in a massive pile up that somehow resulted in a record containing eighteen songs. It's a nightmare with a soundtrack that somehow manages to be entertaining. Whether or not you'll actually enjoy BMAN will depend on what your tolerance for experimental avant garde pop music is. If you like strange sounds from a strange band with strange songs you'll probably end up loving this thing...if you don't you'll probably end up taking two Tylenol and begging for mercy.