ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (190 Princes’ Boulevard, Exhibition Place), Tuesday (October 20), 7 pm. $65. 416-870-8000.
Ian McCulloch sounds far too excited for a reputedly gruff Liverpudlian who’s leading his band, Echo & the Bunnymen, into its 31st year.
[rssbreak]
The 50-year-old lead singer for the legendary gloom rockers can’t wait to unleash Echo’s 11th studio album, The Fountain (Ocean Rain), saying the new material even recalls the swagger and menace of their 1980 breakthrough.
“It reminds me of Crocodiles… the energy coming out of the speakers,” he says from his manager’s office in Liverpool. “It’s like the debut, but with more crunch.
“That’s what I’m trying to do – write music and do gigs that I as a 13-year-old would love.”
McCulloch isn’t just energized by Echo’s new material and sustained career – he’s downright cocky.
“Still got fantastic skin and hair and still look like a dude,” he laughs. “We’ve always stuck to our maintaining of standards and being cool and not being seen to lick anyone’s ass.”
The Fountain has more vigour than Echo’s last record, Siberia, and the sonically charged blast of lead-off track Think I Need It Too sets a vibrant tone for the rest of the disc.
McCulloch had some assistance writing the disc from two London-based “blokes,” Simon Perry and David Thomas, whom he vibed with immediately after hearing their ideas. Perhaps their youth, along with John McLaughlin’s amped-up production, has given Echo, known for contrasting infectious pop hooks with a downcast post-punk sound, a needed jolt of spirit.
“They had some backing tracks that I listened to, and I was like, ‘Whoa, that’s exactly what I’m looking for,'” he recalls. “I think Siberia was a bit too jingly-jangly, so with this album I’ve got more crunch.”
“Crunch” is repeated frequently as McCulloch exuberantly talks about all things Echo in 2009, that is, until I mention the only other remaining original member in the band – Will Sergeant.
When it came time to write The Fountain, McCulloch was disappointed with what his long-time guitarist brought to the table.
“I was beginning to wonder if it was just me who wanted to write great songs for the Bunnymen, because he didn’t have anything,” he says. “That’s why I’ve taken the reins across the board. I’ve always had them, I suppose, but I’m more determined to just see it through now.”
music@nowtoronto.com
