Review: BigBang – “Le Californie”

See all reviews

The sunny state on the US west coast is for many of us the sound of bands like the Beach Boys, Eagles, The Byrds and refreshing “newcomers” like Haim.

Pulling towards California

BigBang, and especially frontman Øystein Greni, has had a close relationship with the American west coast since a few years before Greni bought a dilapidated house in 2009 and later established a studio in Echo Park in Los Angeles.

It has characterized several of BigBang’s albums, and with a title like “Le Californie” they are at least not trying to hide it this time. The album was indeed recorded in Oslo, but is inspired by “The Golden State”.

Fumbling

In 2013, the trio released their very best album, “The Oslo Bowl” (six in this newspaper). Six years later came “Glory Chord”, with a revitalized BigBang. Another four years later, they are here with studio album number eleven.

In the press release, the trio joke that they still can’t decide what kind of band they want to be (pointed out by a reviewer when the band released their second album in 1999). It is quite clear that, after thirty years, they are still groping – if not blindly. At the same time, it is a sign that the trio has no desire to stagnate.

For: Is it rock or pop, soul or R&B? Or all four? “Le Californie” is at least BigBang’s most experimental album – and also among the more uneven. It is not without highlights, but there are too few of them.

Back with a big bang!

The album starts just as soft and hip as we can imagine Grenis Echo Park to appear. “Another Kind of Lonely” is a warm and nice affair with a simple electric guitar in the front which also reminds of the style of Greni’s solo album “Pop Noir” from 2017. It’s also a bit like how we remember him from last year’s “Hver gang vi møstes” on TV 2. On percussion, or rather “sounds”: Joachim Cooder.

Byrds and Beatles

“Dogtown Boys” is something completely different, a fierce, rocking mix of The Byrds and The Beatles, with Grenis Rickenbacker as the engine. An old acquaintance of the band, Erik Tresselt from the original line-up, is here as a songwriter together with Jonas Alaska, Kathryn Williams and Greni. On the last two albums, the band leader has collaborated with several songwriters, and Williams and Jared Nelson Smith are regulars.

“Stress”

So far, everything is both good and well known.

The speis first single «Cowboy Boots & Speedos»with a silly text about the snack Cheetos, rocka “Divin’ In” (reminiscent of something Jack White or The Black Keys could release) and partly “Land Cruiser” on the other hand, seems angular, busy and “stressed” and is not as successful.

With strolling and summery “Home To You” and later reclined “Little Wolf” are they back where they should be – both with dressy, gospel-inspired choruses. We could have had more of this gentle style. It suits the band better.

Gentle breeze

“Summer Crush” reminiscent of a somewhat raw version of the British, California-based soft rock pioneers Fleetwood Mac, with Victoria Hillestad on vocals and a lot of growling guitar.

“She’s All Right” is a gentle breeze from the Pacific Ocean, about a little escape from the street lights with female company, although he admits: “She’s not even my kind of girl”.

BigBang’s most accomplished and mature album

After the aforementioned “Little Wolf” comes more wolf: Concluding “Wolf House” is something in itself, a long Tamla Motown-inspired “drum song” a la “The World Is A Drumkit” on “The Oslo Bowl” – also here with a gospel feeling in the choir and fierce piano notes that come and go. When Olsen has had the drums for a while, the choir comes in and completes the album’s coolest, weirdest and most playful and interesting song. What a drive!

Too many “cooks”?

It is a liberating and nice end to an album that is not so easy to understand, while also sounding unmistakably BigBang. I see that the album has a total of five producers, Eivind Helgerød, Thomas Fröberg and the three in the band.

The band says that this is the first record they have recorded with a “good atmosphere” in the studio. You can hear it at the beginning of some of the songs. With so many “chefs”, it is nevertheless tempting to think that the disparate result may be due to the fact that you have had to compromise along the way. What was the “plan” here, anyway?

I called “The Oslo Bowl” the band’s most complete, their “Exile On Main Street”. Compared to the “Oslo-plata” “Le Californie” seems somewhat incomplete, but the good tracks make up for the less good ones.