Velvet Negroni - Bulli (Deluxe) (2023) [Hi-Res]

Velvet Negroni's songs are like bubbles: weightless, iridescent, and ready to burst in an instant. The best moments on Jeremy Nutzman's debut full-length, Neon Brown, sounded like they just came to him, but Bulli makes that album seem sedate. Slippery but undeniably catchy tracks like "Pop Song 2," a thrumming sketch that segues into retro dance music before it evaporates, and "Pop Song 1," which falls into an elastic groove prior to tearing itself apart with noise, are so spontaneous that they still have working titles. This lack of second-guessing is also reflected in Nutzman's growing confidence at fusing R&B, rock, electronic, and rap into his own engagingly warped style. Though many of Bulli's songs barely pass the two-minute mark, he packs every second with teeming sounds, whether it's the rapid-fire vocals and rippling synths of "Animal" or the ricocheting percussion, sound effects, and whistling of "Bell Clapper." Even on the album's wildest moments, strong rhythms and even stronger melodies guide Nutzman's flow. Though he often leaves listeners hanging, the tension between the beauty of what he makes and how impatiently he makes it gives a refreshing vitality to songs as different as "Ebony Eggshell"'s moody introspection and "Georgia"'s sunny serenity. Nutzman holds on to that immediacy even when he stretches out; at once flowing and jittery, the four-minute "Ballad Smaller" juggles seemingly contradictory rhythms and emotions with ease. Bulli's restlessness may or may not reflect the turbulent state of Nutzman's life while he created it (a house fire and bank fraud were among his troubles), but its fleeting fragments make for dazzling listening.

Review by Heather Phares