Album Review: Raf Rundell - The Adventures Of Selfie Boy, Pt 1

As one-half of indie-dance duo The 2 Bears, Raf Rundell is partly responsible for one of the best club albums of the past ten years in the form of 2012's Be Strong.

Conversely, he's also partly responsible for one of the more underwhelming follow-ups of the same period in the form of the pair's rambling and unfocused The Night Is Young. Rundell's debut solo album The Adventures Of Selfie Boy, Pt 1 plays as an even looser — but surprisingly more enjoyable — version of the latter.

Rundell's focus has definitely migrated away from the dancefloor. While there are hints of The 2 Bears' playful retro-rave in the diva-like vocals and burbling synth lines of closer Llama Farmer and flourishes of dorky hip hop in Poor Bitch, the overwhelming feel of the album is cut-and-paste sonic experimentation in the vein of early Pink Floyd or certain eras of The Beatles. Carried Away drapes a wonky piano groove over a hypnotic psych-rock drum line. The trilling keys and sleepy vocals of Shoppin' For A Shaman deteriorate into pure-noise collage.

It's a rough-hewn, strange little record. But, there's so much charm to it that, even as hooks deteriorate and slip from the mind or lyrics turn to total nonsense, there is a consistent draw back to the odd collage of hypnotic rhythms, silliness and psychedelia. Definitely not for everyone, but definitely worth a look.