John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees proves there really is no end to his work ethic with Damaged Bug, a 14-track stomp into the heart of funk-psychedelics and krautrock. Follows on from the hectic 2016 that Thee Oh Sees went through where they released not one but two full length albums whilst simultaneously freewheeling around the world, you’d have thought Dwyer might have been eager to catch some shut eye. Nevertheless Bunker Funk (perhaps the best sounding title of 2017 so far) – which follows on from 2015’s Cold Hot Plumbs and 2014’s Hubba Bubba, is Dwyer’s tub-thumping catharsis – heck, that’s still an understatement.

Bunker Funk lashes with the kick of a broncho throughout much of its 40 minutes; as ‘Structure Image Approach’ cuts off its radio silence, we are hit with the percussion thrust of ‘Bog Dash’. Take what you want from the title but the thud of Dwyer’s snare has the potential to cause chaos in your stomach, I’ll leave that point there though. ‘The Cryptologist’ refuses to slow ceremonies with its punk jive, one for fans of pogoing and other forms of neurotic bouncing. It draws on King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard tendencies with the chime of flutes and quasi-nursery rhyme chants, not that that is any bad thing though – the Aussies are taking psychedelic music by storm for a reason.

The strongest point of Damaged Bug and the real attacking force that stands up to the base on Bunker Funk is the rhythm and percussion section. ‘Rick’s Jummy’ is a rattling affair that puts the thwacking of the toms as the standout feature, ‘No One Notice The Fly’ is a shamanic dance through mind-melting time signatures and the album-titled track rolls out of the back of it beautifully with Dwyer muttering: “When the sun comes out again / Lay it on your friends”.

Dwyer has always stood by a similar formula in his music – whether his music is directed towards Thee Oh Sees, Coachwhips or Damaged Bug, it always has its two feet firmly in psych-funk. This works for the most part but it becomes tired when used monotonously and flogged consistently. With Bunker Funk there are the good times, such as ’Liquid Desert’ which works as a song perfectly with sliding bass grunts and dancing synths – but similarly there are the lethargic swells of ‘Ugly Gamma’ which leave you puzzled. Now with Damaged Bug, fans are served the same dosage of Dwyer’s whispering vocals and slaying guitars – see ‘Unmanned Scanner’, an alarmingly good track that feels a little misplaced on the album. Ultimately though, there are too many loose ends for this to be an amazing album.

‘Slay The Priest’ is a dull head bob for the most part and ‘Gimme Tamanthum’ is a purgatory of inaudible sounds and utter confusion as to where the song is heading. It adds to the off-centre feel of Bunker Funk but surely there comes a point when Dwyer questions whether his own experimentations serve any purpose on an actual recorded track? ‘The Night Shopper’ wants to be a track, it tries to be a track but it’s ultimately nothing more than Dwyer’s cool whisper at the end of an album which ends on the buzz of mosquitos and night-time insects. Perhaps a fitting end to an album that shouldn’t have really been too much longer than an EP.

It’s safe to say that Bunker Funk is an album dedicated to fans of Dwyer that can see little to no evil. The thing with Bunker Funk is it develops Dwyer’s obsessive nature and focus, it strips back much of the fuzz associated with Thee Oh Sees and whereas Cold Hot Plumbs looked closely at synths, this looks closely at rhythms. Rhythms are fun and Dwyer can make a racket with them but they struggle to form full songs without focus elsewhere too. Bunker Funk is fun and expressive but it’s an album of ideas for the most part unfortunately.
Tom Churchill

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