Sunny Ali & The Kid’s Spookwave 2012 Is Eerie And FUNKY AS HELL

Dispatching from South Philly and New York City, Sunny Ali & The Kid have slowly unveiled a spooky batch of tracks from themselves and their friends. The nine tracks released on the 27th are as wide-ranged in their bizarro funk as they are creepy and frighteningly groovy. This, their third in a series of three, is the final collection of 26 tracks that’ve been Bandcamp-released over the past week. They’re kitschy and scary, but always polished in their dazzling web of genres and styles. A look at the records’ tags shows you that they know they’re working with a mixed bag: “american rock and roll country hip hop lo-fi psychedelic punk slime spookwave Philadelphia.”

Basically, these three records, essentially free to listen to for a limited time, are the ideal soundtrack to your not-that-thematic-but-still-a-costumey-Halloween-party-for-young-adults. Doesn’t get much better. Just about every track’s got a groove, a danceable movement to it or at least a rhythm that’s way cooler than howling winds or creaking doors. Even though a BUNCH of those sounds are present on these three records, it’s never tacky: chainsaws, ghoulish whines, zombie growls, slash strokes, off-putting organs, thunder and supernatural noises populate many of these tracks.

In an era where many musicians are quick to put out holiday-themed releases that sink their cache and sully their name (Have you seen the deluge of Christmas albums that started this month? Lookin’ rightatchu, Cee-Lo), this one’s on the money. There’s no pretense or commercial hook here. Clearly these guys enjoy a little make-believe and gothic dress-up enough to send up a salute to many Americans’ favorite time of year, nay, favorite day of the year. In fact, these records combined kind of feel like a hip-hop artists’ fascination with a horror genre not unlike the Wu-Tang’s obsession with martial arts. The sophistication evident in the employ of samples, found sounds and sound bytes is impressive. Give em’ some spins as you greet trick-or-treaters, carve pumpkins and decorate Halloween cookies; or as you get dressed slutty and embark on intoxication. You won’t regret it, freaks, geeks and treats.