The Weekly Coos

As with many people in the mid-2010s, one subgenre within the EDM wave that was modestly popular was the unique hybrid of Folk and Electronica, something Avicii helped bring to the mainstream after a quiet storm of releases from varying artists since the early 90s. Amongst those to deliver music within that realm, and after the fact, were artists like Björk, Caribou, Ellie Goulding, Alex G, and Bunt., whose new project I’ll be reviewing here. Levi Don’t Do It is Bunt’s second full-length project, post break-up from being a duo. Though I was once a fan, Levi Wijk (Bunt) has seemed to tread away from what works to relay a heavy focus on the trendy sounds that encompass the dancefloor today. Much of the music on the album doesn’t feel that organically sound. It is more so pushed through the seams, whether from its melodies or the production’s modest simplicity. That isn’t to denote some of the few quality moments like the stutters in “Moment,” which are more effective than its previous usage in “Peace In Silence,” where the emotive melodies get forgotten—similar can be said about the album.

Beginning with “Clouds,” you get a sense of the direction taken by Bunt, and it’s one that’s very emotionally focused despite whiffing on the depth. It’s a commonality with many popular dance tracks getting spun today—some can be great—I made that evident in some previous reviews of artists last year—-with Bunt, it isn’t that intuitive. It’s emotionally focused, but that isn’t enough to skirt it by, especially when some of the stutter notes feel more like retreads instead of feeling it’s being creative with its implementation. “Clouds” went viral on TikTok, so when you hear those hollow percussion and directness, there is no surprise; it fits the mold to get edited into videos as there are no genuine transitional shifts, and instead follows through with two simple paralleling constructions, you don’t feel as immersed beyond a simple tune. It rarely gets better from there, as the production doesn’t get more creative as the stutters become too repetitive, taking from the vocals and the emotional depth it could retain. It could be why I’m more fond of “Moment,” where it does its own thing, using vocal samples to add motivational fortitude to the pounding glitches. In hindsight, it makes you wish Bunt did more of this instead of what we get here.

“Lose It All (I Don’t Wanna)” is the other that doesn’t have a featured vocalist, and equally, it’s for the better. Though that isn’t to denigrate the featured vocalists, it’s more how Bunt incorporates them into the fold where it doesn’t bolster the track further than it is on the surface. Unfortunately, that isn’t another aspect hindering it. It’s a short-lived album that runs 21 minutes, a mini-album akin to what some KPOP artists drop, and for Bunt, it leaves you wanting more. It has eight tracks, one of which is a remix to “Clouds” by Tiësto, delivering his patented drops. It’s no different than most of his remixes, and yet it’s better than the original, as it at least adds some character. “Something Real” is another significant, and I say that comparatively as it isn’t the most creative like the songs that precede and follow it—it hits as it’s slightly different from the fray, allowing the emotional center to breathe within its runtime, that it eventually makes you remember that you could have spent the last twenty minutes watching a classic episode of The Simpsons. 

Bunt comes with sheer hollowness on this new album, Levi Don’t Do It, and it’s unceremoniously forgettable. I’m usually very optimistic about Electronic music as the task itself in production is more calculated and nuanced, considering the history of transitions via mixes. Here, it isn’t as subtle and more forgettable. Though it was somewhat translucent when transitioning, once I went back, song by song, I realized how lesser this is than expected, and I was already low on it. It may be your cup of tea, it wasn’t mine, but there is always something for someone, and this hits notes for those who like the stutters; I personally wish it was more creative, and here we are, me telling you to honestly not listen unless you’re curious cause you can find a better way to spend 20 minutes.