TURF ASCENSION

It took fifteen years for Bubblemath to produce their excellent second album, 'Edit Peptide', but it has only been five for them to release their third, 'Turf Ascension', which we should all be grateful for. There are less Cardiacs influences in this one, more Gentle Giant plus King Crimson, and a definite switch to the more melodic and less challenging while losing none of the quirkiness and charm one finds within their music. Apparently, this was a deliberate approach on behalf of the band who felt that possibly they spent too long on their second release, due in no small part to setting up their own recording equipment which allowed them to spend as much time as they liked without worrying about cost or being kicked out of the studio.

Just four songs, but only one of these has the temerity to be less than 10 minutes in length (by three seconds), yet when one falls headlong into the world of Bubblemath time has no meaning, as all that exists is their creation. While there are times when I am reminded somewhat of the commerciality of some 90's American prog, for the most part we are firmly in the UK with bands from the 70's and 80's but being lifted into the modern day and taken in new directions. It is eccentric, but somehow with more prog mainstream sensibilities so it is a very album to get inside and quickly fall in love with. I was talking to a musician the other day about his latest track, and he soon stopped talking about that and had I heard the latest release by Bubblemath? His feeling is that their songwriting has improved by light years from what they were doing on the debut album, but as I have yet to hear that I cannot really comment, except for saying that this is yet another exceptional release.

There are multiple threads, multiple melodies, all taking place at the same time, and it is an album where the listener concentrates on just one of these and it is only then that the real complexity comes out. For example, the drumming on "Everything" is a masterclass on what can be done behind the kit when the drummer wants to be a true musician as opposed to "just" keeping time, with James never stopping and always changing the attack and approach, but the same is true for every musician on every song which makes this such a dynamic and interesting album to listen to. Let us hope they keep producing material according to the new equation, so if this album was released in just a third of the time of the last one, I think the next one should be due out in 20 months? Please?? For those who have yet to uncover the sheer delights of this incredible Minneapolis quintet, then the time is now.

With this, the Minneapolis band has, in my opinion, taken a step backwards. The music is far less melodic, less quirky-fun, and less engaging than anything that I've heard from them before. The music is just more straightforward and vapid than before, as exemplified in the extremes of the two songs "Everything" and "Refuse". The former is trying to be melodic, simple and accessible but ultimately ends up just being monotonous and boring while the latter song, though definitely more in line with the quality and style of their previous work, is trying to be technically complex, clever, quirky, and relevant but fails to ever engage the listener because of its weak melodies and confusing twists and shifts that feel as if they're more for the sake of shifting and turning than they are for the effect of providing some constructive concrete structure for us to comprehend and maneuver within. Try as I might--over and over, in fact--there is nothing on this album that draws me back for repeated listening--whereas with 2017's Edit Peptide and their original debut release way back in 2001, Such Fine Particles in the Universe, there is so much joy, fun, and memorable music pulling me back time and again. (Both albums have earned--and sustained--firm places in my top 20 Album lists for their respective years.) Turf Ascension is a big disappointment for a much anticipated album and highly respected band. Perhaps they just didn't have the time and ability to truly focus and put their hearts into this one as they seemed to for their previous two.

I couldn't get into BUBBLEMATH's first two complex and dense albums so I'm not sure what possessed me to pick this up recently. Oh yeah that flashlight keychain that came with it! I hooked it onto my car keys and I now have a BUBBLEMATH mini flashlight. Not since GURU GURU giving away a balloon and a button in one of their live archival releases have I felt so special. Also to be fair I read the comments that band leader and keyboardist Kai Esbensen said about allowing themes to linger longer instead of this turning on a dime constantly both vocally and instrumentally which are so not my thing and the reason I've had trouble with some of the CARDIACS stuff.

And he was right, the middle two tracks of the four presented here are not insane! There's is actually mellow bits and some space to breathe. This five piece is from Minnesota and one other thing Kai mentioned was how much time was put into the lyrics. They weren't an afterthought by a long shot, these are intelligent and over my head(doesn't take much) but hey incredible lyrics in an avant/pop setting what's not to like? Oh yeah not my thing but if it's yours this might be the best record you will ever hear in your life.

He gets asked about the cover art constantly not so surprisingly. Done by the bass player Kai calls them tangle monsters that you can look at while listening to the music and if you look hard enough at the knots and tangles it will reveal subtle references to each track(haha). This album is dominated by the vocals and while he is a good singer I am not into them so bottom line this one is all about taste and my lack of it apparently. Highly praised in the avant world I just have always had trouble with vocal dominated avant/pop. Go figure? The drummer is amazing though but the music is not my thing.