The songwriter pours his demons into singer/songwriter pop.
It is always a risk for an artist to make public everything that moves or burdens him. Enno Bunger has often proven in the past that openness is important to him and a form of truthfulness that may not actually fit with classic pop, as it often sticks to surfaces that only at first glance reflect real life . It’s no secret that Bunger struggles with depression, he has talked about it and he is not alone with this illness, many of his colleagues sometimes go through dark valleys.
Bunger’s new record may give some people comfort, because on THE BEST LOSER, states of mind are also described in a classic songwriter’s manner, for example in the sensitive “I see something”. Guitars, quiet piano accompaniment and calm vocals carry the album and leave room for thoughtful lyrics.
Sometimes Bunger’s lines slide a little too far into lyrical consternation and some are reminiscent of times when Kettcar, Tomte and Madsen postulated great exuberance. But why not? Why not let the chorus celebrate itself? Bunger has created an intimate album, but the political “Nobody starts a war” tells a somewhat one-dimensional, children’s book-like story. Here his desire for authenticity is annoying because he doesn’t trust the listeners to have enough transfer power.