“BigBang are a Norwegian trio that have recently relocated to Los Angeles. I’ve been listening to their latest album titled “Edendale”. While they certainly come across as a capable and talented outfit, these confused Norwegians fail to deliver the cohesion and consistency over the long haul needed to make an impact.
The effort suffers from a serious identity crisis. I can’t even tell from one song to another if I’m actually listening to the same band. This is frustrating because ultimately no distinct style ever emerges, and that continuity problem sinks the proverbial ship.
The album’s opening track, “Play Louder” struts in mid tempo and carries a type of arrogance that’s good for any band to have, but the melody at the heart of the tune is barely present and when we do finally find one it’s just ordinary.
“Call Me” is the next track, and it’s the polar opposite of the song that proceeded it. It’s an eager to please, herky jerky radio friendly bid that is immaculately executed but again fails to deliver any kind of memorable punch.
“Isabel” attempts to stretch out a groove which eventually progresses into a “Kashmir-ish” kind of groove but instead of taking off it just kind of lies there.
Only on “Freeway Flowers” and during the second half of “Now Is Not A Good Time” do we get some kind of direction and harmonious interplay that makes me feel like I’m listening to a band instead of a marketing strategy.
As the record goes on it attempts to cover more ground than it needs to, with ill fated forays into soul, funk and cocktail piano jazz. Instead of coming off as eclectic we get the impression that BigBang is just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
It’s a pity because there is talent here, and if they can ever hone that towards developing and executing an actual direction, they may have a good record or two inside them. Regretfully though all too often over the course of “Edendale” all we have are isolated moments and that’s simply not enough.