Kero Kero Bonito - "Graduation"
(2016 Double Denim)
Bottling the balmy optimism of summer vacation's end, British bubblegum-bass trio Kero Kero Bonito march proudly into school in matching graduation gowns dyed as pink and blue as county fair cotton candy. Though as twee as their image suggests, KKB aren't the type to operate under the terms of others - their latest offering, "Graduation", is a puerile punk tune that blows Eurobeat raspberries at the shortcomings of particularly uninspiring educators while (somewhat sarcastically) patting itself on the back for earning a diploma.
Though partly indebted to the suburbanite impudence of Descendents, "Graduation" is, at its core, a reconfiguration of the cacophonous, drop-heavy EDM peddled by Diplo and DJ Snake, massive bursts of grimy aggression traded for Kids Bop-py arrangements of MIDI-fied drums and Mario Kart sound effects. Though the end of the academic year may be about 9 months away, listening to KKB's new single feels like attending an early grad party.
"What shall I do now that the world is mine?"
