Living up to their name, Bonfire Radicals get seasonally musical.
Release Date: 5th November 2024
Label: self-released
Format: CD / digital
Oh how we tittered when we spotted the release date for the new Bonfire Radicals EP. The thought occurs that they should form the habit of releasing something (single/EP/album) on 5th November every year. A bit like Beans On Toast annual 6th December/birthday album.
a colourful splash
Resisting the temptation to throw in a handful of fireworky references and of course the US presidential elections happening at the same time, instead focus (focus!) on the Bonfire Radicals’ trademark exuberant menu. Five tracks cascade (…almost said ‘explode’…) from Flywheel in a splash of colour that matches the rather splendid montage that makes up the artwork.
Traditional we encounter frequently, but traditional Greek less so. With drummer Ilias Lintzos in the ranks, it would be churlish not to draw on what’s in his DNA. Zalizome/Deb Boro Manoulam sees Sarah Farmer’s fiddle weaving in and out of the vocal and hypnotic click track. Cultures collide in an intense maelstrom and an invitation to put on the glittery dance shoes and become entranced. quite an opening gambit.
tradition or tradition?
Never too far from the tradition, yet far enough to subvert it into a Heavy Metal frankenstein, Love Is Teasing shifts gear mid song into a brief but most invigorating heavyweight of a riff (perhaps the Brum connection in the DNA?). The sound of Bonfire Radicals grooving down to Kashmir.
From there, the disastrous loss of a favoured plectrum and a baking/farmyard connection offer unlikely sources of inspiration. You can very quickly appreciate how Sarah’s Muffins is the band’s nod to 70s avant-Jazz Progsters, the Muffins. You may not even be able to spot the difference. It’s a brilliantly weird and wonderful trip with even a Gentle Giant-y vocal part. It could be the door opener that sees the Radicals supporting the next Gong tour!
As always, never boring and unfailingly unorthodox. The epilogue of satsuma squeezing and I also want to say ‘zany’ – and I just have. Touche.
Here’s a hint of what to expect:
Bonfire Radicals online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp
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