With 25 years and appearances on over 70 records on his resume, Trevor Dunn amazingly isn’t quite the household name he ought to be. As co-founder of Mr. Bungle, member of Mike Patton’s gloriously weird Fantômas, contributor to numerous John Zorn records, and leader of avant-garde jazz outfit Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant among many other things, Dunn is one of the world’s most prolific bass players and composers.
Marking a return to writing rock music after ten years away from it all, Dunn’s MadLove is a glorious line-up of musicians from all over the musical landscape.
Featuring Sunny Kim (Myth of Mitch) on vocals, Hilmar Jensson (Tyft) on guitars, Ches Smith (Xiu Xiu, Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog) on drums and Dunn on bass and vocals, MadLove is an eclectic but entirely organic group. Keyboardist Erik Deutch joins the crew for live performances.
White with Foam, MadLove’s debut record, is a terrific introduction that makes the most of the members’ contributions. It represents middle ground between edible pop and more difficult avant-garde arrangements well, making hay out of wrong-noted power chords and invigorating bass lines.
Dunn relies on intuition in constructing the tunes for White with Foam, never over-thinking the writing process. The compositions are deceptive, unfurling initially like model commercial pop tunes then wandering through assorted dark alleys with jazzy breakdowns, haunting vocal intonations and different variations on theme and mood.
“Dirty” is a fine example of the band’s role-playing. Kim veers upwards with ascending vocals that lay across Jensson’s powerful guitar and Dunn’s melodic bass with exhilarating emotion. The shifting melodies are tremendous, giving the song texture while Smith hammers away.
Other spots are just as thrilling, such as the funky and slinky “Knowing” and the radio-friendly “Thread.”
The gauzy “In Love (In Theory)” is yet another highlight. Peppered with a chunky bass line that wanders between classical groove and spaghetti western swagger, it’s a track that expands and contracts smartly. Kim shows off her vocal dexterity, too, never straining to hit the notes but uncorking them with genuine poise.
White with Foam is a brilliant debut from Dunn’s MadLove. The songs are fascinating and ultimately fun, walking the line between palatable and outlandish with ease. There’s a legitimate love to the craft of songwriting and composition here, which makes for one hell of a bewitching record from one hell of an engaging group.
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