There's no label that will stick to this album. 'Fabrications' is an out-there collection of live instrumentation welded to electronic beats. It encompasses a whole range of moods, from chilled bedroom vibes to flat-out funk, stopping off for jazzy little interludes along the way.
This is Micko Westmoreland's second album as The Bowling Green, and it showcases some inventive, and sometimes downright oddball, ideas.
A huge range of influences have been thrown into the melting pot, with the pace chopping and changing quickly from track to track. The balmy sea-washed atmospherics of 'Luxury And Disaster' gently open the album.
The bright, pizzazz pop of 'Stereo Love' that follows is unexpected. Jayne Wayne's quirky, off-kilter vocals on the track are set against what might be described as "Bollywood"-influenced beats, full of percussion and heady Eastern overtones. The simplistic nature of the lyrics make it a very naive sort of pop song, the kind of sing-a-long music that sticks in the head.
Guest contributors add a dash of extra interest. The Strangler's Jean-Jacques Burnell lends his distinctive bass to a couple of tracks, setting the stage for Peter Harris' spoken words on both 'Hi Jinx' and 'Don't Know You Is'. 'Hot Potootie' blends breaks with funk, with guitar from Mike Gibson, and Jimi Tenor's main man, Terry Edwards, who adds a jazzy edge to the proceedings with his trumpet.
There's plenty of room for experimentation, done with a kind of 'try it and see what happens' attitude. 'Tigons and Liger' slides between electronic discord and percussive breaks, before resolving itself in a tight roll of funk, punctuated with little brass stabs. 'Dirty Shag' and 'Alcatrash' are high on the sleaze factor. They grind with sordid electronics, like a steamy reflection in a mirror of a Soho strip joint.
'Fabrications' is a loosely gathered collection, bound by a common thread of kitsch. It's like a set of little aural snapshots, different views of a untypical scene. It's no surprise that twelve Bowling Green tracks will feature on the soundtrack to Hollywood shot indie film 'The Fluffer'.
