There's always been a steely intelligence at the heart of the Japanese noise-rock band Melt-Banana's sound, and this is nowhere more apparent on this 2007 collection than in tracks such as "Spider Snipe" and "Blank Page," which blend caterwauling punk rock with precision-timed, virtuoso percussion and death-defying bass runs. "Crow's Paint Brush (Color Repair)," with its loopy synth noises and Bjork-like vocal, is perhaps the closest Melt-Banana has ever come to recording a catchy pop song, but the series of brief yet outrageous noise sketches that close out the album, such as "One Drop, One Life" and "Chain Keeper," prove that the band still remains close to its experimental roots.

Even when at their most accessible, Melt Banana is still one of the more challenging punk rock outfits in recent history, and with their seventh full-length studio album the band that harnessed chaos to perfection in 2003's Cell-Scape continues to make music that is as thoroughly outrageous and dizzyingly hilarious as ever. While Bambi's Dilemma may not cohere as a whole quite as effectively as Cell-Scape did -- at times it feels like the missing link between that album and their previous release Teeny Shiny -- it does have moments of manic brilliance that are sure to please longtime fans and perhaps even win over a few converts. Whereas Cell-Scape operated on an almost sci-fi level thanks to the introduction of more electronic elements into the band's sound, Bambi's Dilemma largely goes back to the basics by stripping the sound back down to its roots (with the notable exception of the hypnotic "Type: Ecco System" of course). It seems that by previously experimenting with their sound the band was able to grow and expand, but don't mistake maturity for selling out because despite the "Rock Banana" moments scattered throughout Bambi's Dilemma, the band never misses a chance to catch the listener off guard with a little well-placed insanity. Perhaps nowhere on the album is this point better displayed than in "Dog Song," a tune that's sure to have listeners tapping their toes before it explodes into one of the most ear-splitting verses ever recorded. A decent introduction for newcomers and a somewhat unexpected surprise for longtime fans, Bambi's Dilemma proves without question that while they may well have the ability to craft the catchiest pop song imaginable, Melt Banana will never miss an opportunity to twist that perfection into something wholly unexpected. As with most of the releases in Melt Banana's catalog Bambi's Dilemma will likely take a few listens to truly sink in, but when the album finally clicks most will likely agree that it was well worth the effort. ~ Jason Buchanan