ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN

The Fountain

2009-11-24

With The Fountain, Ian McCulloch and his fellow Liverpool Bunnymen are back for their 11th full-length release. While there's nothing profound here, simple and succinct melodic hooks abound. The opener and the first single off of the album, "Think I Need It Too," is initially a song that seemingly warrants several spins but sadly grows a bit tiresome over time. The short and upbeat "Do You Know Who I Am" works better as McCulloch belts "Do you know who I am? Do you know what I've got? Do you know who I am? Cause I know what you're not." Another track worth mentioning is the arresting "Life Of A Thousand Crimes," which manages to create a hook that is nothing less than infectious. Still, the best song here might just be "Everlasting Neverendless," capturing the best of McCulloch with a tempo that makes you want to return again and again. In the end, without prior knowledge of the Bunnymen's legacy, there's little to dislike here. However, with a history in mind, it's a little tougher to get on the bandwagon. Still, while this ten-song set of music ends with the longest and least compelling piece of music titled "The Idolness of Gods," long before reaching this point, the Bunnymen have already sold you on their ability to make good music despite being several years removed from their 80's heyday. In the end, what we have here is some pretty "good stuff." ~ Reviewed by Jeff Bouma

Quick Links:

• Official Echo and the Bunnymen Site