Nobunny

I usually hate gimmick acts; even the good ones seem to have an extremely tenuous replay value. The novelty behind a guy in a rabbit mask and no pants dancing around -- I use the term 'dancing' loosely -- while performing songs through a carrot microphone seems weak in theory, doesn't it?

But this guy, Nobunny, he rips. The music on Love Visions isn't even that good or played all that well, but this lack of craftsmanship almost endears itself to the listener, whirling us back to the time when punk began, with every note played in a quick, haphazardly fashion, the way we used to like it.

As previously mentioned, Nobunny's influences are unabashedly classic, and he wears them on his furry ears like badges of pride. One listen to his unsophisticated croon on either "Tina Goes to Work" or "Not That Good" ought to cause visions of the late, great Joey Ramone to dance in your head, while the swanky attitude behind "Nobunny Loves You" and especially "Boneyard" make them sound as if a Swedish garage rock band in matching suits should be performing them. And the 64-second "Mess Me Up" is straight-up bubblegum, with a perfectly catchy vocal pattern and hackneyed lyrics concerning heartbreak over distorted guitars.

Speaking of distortion, it's everywhere on Love Visions. The disjointed pop-punk of "I Know I Know" is caked in it, giving the song the feel of a four-track bedroom recording. Same goes for the upbeat "Don't Know Don't Care" -- the vocals here sound like they were recorded in a separate room.

The real jewel of Love Visions is "Chuck Berry Holiday," a soulful track with a whimsical piano part as well a barrage of guitars that would excite any regular Marty McFly, all clanking underneath Nobunny's loud, confident wail. Who knows if Mr. Berry has heard the song; if so, I'd like to think he'd get a kick out of it.

On Love Visions, Nobunny just goes to show you that good songs trump silly gimmicks eight days a week and will continue to do so until the end of time. Now where did I put my pants?