Kiki Schueler knows her taxonomy. She also knows a thing or two about music. Here’s what she has to say about BingBong’s release Hip Eponymous:

Let’s start by talking about the pachyderm in the room.  And it’s not an elephant.  I’m referring to the sunglass sporting, tutu wearing, high stepping, pink cartoon hippo gracing the cover of BingBong’s new record Hip Eponymous.  The record was recorded at Madison’s Paradyme Productions, and engineered by studio owner Jake Johnson, who also coproduced with the band.  There’s a reason Johnson has a shelf full of Madison Area Music Awards, Hip Eponymous sounds amazing.  Lead singer Pam Barrett’s rock star voice is front and center, but bassist Julie Kiland’s harmony vocals are right there too.  Every Brian Bentley snare roll and cymbal crash, every Danny Hicks guitar lick is perfectly mixed.  Of course, having a great sounding record is only half the battle.  It doesn’t mean a thing without songs, and BingBong has ‘em in spades.

You can hear decades of musical inspiration in the record’s thirteen tracks, which means every song sounds like a classic.  Opening track “Let’s Run Away” thrums with the dreamy wistfulness of the Go-Go’s, while track two “Clear Blue Sky” has that Byrds’ jangle paired with satellite beeps and lost transmissions.  The trippy “I Am You” sees the world throughDark Side of the Moon glasses, and the infectious “Come Alive” strains 70’s southern rock through an early MTV filter. The manic energy of “Phenomenon and On” hits like a word whirlwind or a double shot of espresso.  There’s a slinky exoticness running through “Cassanova’s Sons” owing to an addictive bass line and Hicks’ hypnotic guitar.  “A Little Louder” is equal parts love letter and anthem, and one of many tracks to prominently feature Kiland’s vocals, truly the band’s secret weapon.  Hip Eponymous’s pair of ballads, “Wait for Me” and “The Time You Wasted,” are smart, lovely, and perfectly timed to let you catch your breath.

Most of the songs here are written by some combination of Barrett and/or Hicks, with Bentley also having a credit, but there is always room for a well-chosen cover.  “Mean Old World” from Spooner’s 1990 album Fugitive Dance fits the bill, and BingBong’s treatment is faithful and full of joy.  Their wink wink sense of humor extends from the title all the way to the last track.  Song number thirteen?  It’s called “Lucky.” Which is exactly what Madison is.  BingBong doesn’t have a huge catalog, but every record is worth owning.

Kiki Schueler. – Kiki’s House of Righteous Music