KKB retain some electropop on ‘Time ‘n’ Place’, but to help themselves appear more integral, it’s less computerized, more ‘no wave’ synth pop-esque, with performances that come from a human touch.
Time 'n' Place is challenging, but its rewards are commensurate, and while the band may lose some of their more fickle fans with this release, it's always refreshing to see artistic growth put first, especially when it pays off like this.
Kero Kero Bonito make their Polyvinyl debut with a pretty radical departure from the signature sound cemented on Bonito Generation. Thankfully, Time 'n' Place is every bit as good as that album.
Time 'n' Place might not be quite as cohesive as Bonito Generation, but it offers a fuller portrait of Kero Kero Bonito's music without losing any of the spark that makes them special.
The content is memorable, but the melodies aren’t. Still, stronger and more diverse than their debut, Time ‘n’ Place aspirationally conjures a world that won’t be so easy to detest, one where magic and memory intertwine.
Time 'n' Place sounds transitional as if Kero Kero Bonito are working their way into something that's more sustainable than the often wild, sometimes too-cute experiments of their past.
#22 | / | The Needle Drop |