By: Scott Martin
Speak Evil is the latest and final EP from Ottawa’s favourite simian namesake rock outfit, Bonobo Backlash. Still, they made sure that their departure was accompanied by a soundtrack to be remembered.
The bonobo is an endangered great ape found in certain parts of Africa eating fruits and berries, but Bonobo Backlash is a garage rock band from Ottawa that can be found writing fuzzed-out melodic rock bangers.
Bonobo Backlash comprises members Maryse Betournay on vocals and keyboards, Devon Gouveia on drums, Brendan Kupiak on bass and vocals, Kevin Schiemann on guitar and Mo Farag on violin.
With a tracklist spanning seven songs, Bonobo Backlash manages to take the listener on an unforgettable journey through a musical landscape filled with rich layers of synth, fuzz and infectious melodies that stick with you long after the first listen.
The songs that populate this record are the tracks that, in their own words, “we didn’t have the time/money to include on our previous LP”.
The EP begins with a 55-second introduction that features cycling radio stations before a haunting violin riff begins to swirl around the speakers. This all comes to an end with a snippet from a monologue delivered by none other than Mathew McConaughey.
Track two throws the listener head first into a hard-hitting moshpit of distorted choppy guitars and drums, which makes sense as the track is named Do as you please (It’s attack of the chimpanzees).
While the instrumentation can get dissonant and chaotic at times, the rock-solid sense of melody is never too far away. Once again as the song comes to a close, we hear the cycling of radio stations and you can’t help but wonder just what could come next…
Track three, sounds the same, betrays its name by providing a steady and hard-hitting rock groove. Leaning into the more gloomy melancholic territory, the song delves into topics of deception and hurt. With gut-punching lines such as “You played us for fools/ searching for answers/ how could we trust you?” Maryse Betournay delivers a haunting performance that helps keep the energy of the track razor-sharp and focused. Once again, we finish off with radio static, however, this time we are greeted by a clip of Dr Phil talking about being under the influence and making sweet conjugal relations with a truck driver ”many times” … What a treat.
As we reach the midway checkpoint of this EP, things slow down for the track I’m About to Die. We trade fuzz and chaos for an almost balladesque tune about swirling confusing thoughts such as “I was September in July” and “Tuesday is a colour”. I’m About to Die serves as a beautiful slowdown and while the track only features a small lyrical section before looping, the words chosen stand strong enough on their own that getting to hear them again feels more like a reward than repetitive.
Up next is the curiosity-inspiring track Don’t ask why. The song has a short runtime, to begin with, but what might come as a shock to the listener is that the music stops only 45 seconds into the track. After this abrupt change, we hear clips of news stories about different violent incidents and world events before cutting itself off with more radio static.
Moving right along as if the previous track never happened, Brain Ballads throws the listener directly back into the thick of things with a crashing cacophony of drums and in-your-face guitars. The lyrical content of this track explores violence and tragedy, referencing the Manchester bombing at the Ariana Grande concert and the story of 18-year-old Ryan Waller who was shot in the eye by a home invader and was treated like a suspect subjected to endure hours of interrogation before receiving medical attention. The track has an intense pessimism throughout, even ending with the lyrics “Everyone will blame you/ and no one will save you”.
The grand finale of Speak Evil comes in the form of Conan O’Brien needs a drink.
This track serves as an anthem for cocaine, with verses composed of lyrics such as “sniff it in my nose all night/ I can’t get enough”, and the chorus of “I like cocaine” on repeat. These wild lyrics are accompanied by some of the most tender and reserved playing from the band that has been seen to this point on the EP, which serves as a fitting wind down to the project as well as a comical juxtaposition of the song’s topic of cocaine. When inspected as more than the sum of its parts, the track seems to be exploring the idea of using drugs as an escape, but just becoming addicted to that drug instead.
When a band comes to an end, it’s common to hope for some kind of legacy to be left behind. It can be said with no hesitation that Bonobo Backlash has spectacularly achieved this goal, as Speak Evil serves to be one of the most chaotic, fun, terrifying and memorable projects in recent memory.