- A key Melbourne artist returns with four smooth house tracks.
- Over the past few years, Simon Barry has become a regular fixture on the Melbourne DJ circuit, appearing alongside Danny Hotep in a DJ and promoter duo dubbed Misty Nights. Bungalow Classics is Barry's debut EP, released on the local label Butter Sessions. Much of the record is steeped in early Chicago house, reflected in the opener's title, "Sex & Acid." It has the raw, DIY feel of an Adonis record, with low-slung 808 kicks and a hushed, unemotional vocal that comes from an amateur singer. That's not a bad thing: there's an endearing quality to the lack of glitz. The exuberant "Big Fat Party Popper" features orchestral stabs and a rowdy synth line, plus a vocal that errs toward the cheesy with lyrics like "Shake your buns / pop that party / make that party pop." Again, the amateur delivery means the track stops short of being garish.
Where the A-side amuses, the B-side is more earnest. On "Afternoon Bloom," a jazzy piano takes the starring role, but there's a quirkiness to the whistles and the piano's off-kilter breakdown. The hazier "Bare With Me" incorporates gentle touches of a conga and reverbed chords, evocative of a Big Strick production. For this debut EP, we hear Barry showing his range. He shines brightest when it sounds like he's having fun.
TracklistA1 Sex & Acid
A2 Big Fat Party Popper
B1 Afternoon Bloom
B2 Bare With Me