the bordellos

Many thanks to Brian of the Bordellos for sending over what is hoped will be at some point a new Julian Cope tribute EP entitled ‘spinning like Julian‘. Described by the authors as bonkers which I guess is befitting for something Cope addled the set features four cuts some covers some originals that peer into the weird and fractured psyche of pops fried freak head. Now this being the Bordellos, themselves as unpredictably unstable though nevertheless finitely equipped and informed in the vagaries of wired and weird sounds, you are immediately served warning as to something strange brewing in the mix. As ever just to be awkward we start with the parting track ’the teardrop exploded’ a crooked curio combined of snake winding grazes of lolloping banjos pepper corned by wayward parps from mischievous penny whistles and snoozing lazy eyed motifs who gather together in conspiratorist huddles to eke out a strangely becoming ragamuffin of a transcendental tabla whose fried viewfinder imagines stoned out surrealist afternoons squatting illegally in the grounds of Rawlinson’s End. Initially appearing on Cope’s ’peggy suicide’ set – perhaps one of his finest moments – edged with a reflective tenderness its here slyly murmured intimately in a sleepy headed styling not unlike that you’d imagine Death Cab for Cutie eloquently furnishing. ’spinning like Julian Cope’ with its irregular head tunes directly into the dark fractured heart of ’interpreter’ for a detuned and freaked 2 minute big haired and bigger bearded lo-fi head-trip that aside fraying around the edges as it pays its respect and its undying love for the Druid dude manages along the way to trip wire into territories once previously occupied by the likes of god is my co pilot and Southall riot. However all said an done it’s their re-drill of the Teardrops ’sleeping gas’ that had us frankly fainting, a fine line between bravery and foolishness is walked upon, the original pretty much perfect, happy to say the Bordellos air on the side of the former in keeping to the originals minimalist lo-fi tonalities and trance like states and along the way cheekily stamping their own persona upon proceedings by donning shades and going all lysergic and psychey on its arse. File under drop dead cool weird ear pop.