From start to finish Funny Man, the fifth album by London-based band Lark, is like a dark and freaky trip and, whilst there are times when the effects are (almost) pleasurable and intriguing, it isn't always one you're that sure you want to be on. This in itself is in many ways the desired effect as Karl Bielik (the creative force behind the band) takes you into a world of his own distorted psyche, and on a journey through the grim and grotesque world as seen through his eyes.
Don't be drawn into a false sense of security by some of the song titles – 'Girl', 'Curtains', 'Funsize', 'A Fishing Trip', 'Kitchens' etc – because anticipating anything even close to the mundane would be foolish – your pop sensibilities will be smothered down here. It's easy to make connections with other well-known weirdos that have obviously had some influence here – serial strange men like Tom Waits, Marilyn Manson and Captain Beefheart – and its definitely not the sort of music you'd want your girlfriend's father finding out that you'd been listening to.
Most of the tracks are driven by a brooding bassline or seedy guitar riff, and then coloured in various shades of black by the lyrics and vocal delivery of Bielik, which sound only as haunting as they are haunted. There are times when the musical journey ascends out of the decrepit and desolate swamp it seems so at home in, and into a more spacey backdrop, such as on tracks like 'A Fishing Trip' and 'Jettison', and then drifts back down just as freely. The vocals are especially in the vein of Nick Cave to the point were one might feel it a little too derivative at times, but the conviction and ownership of the songs and their lyrics are such that it doesn't really feel like someone else's work.
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Overall Funny Man is both raw and unpredictable, and listening to it is like taking a tightrope walk barefoot on the edge of a knife. It is strangely rewarding if you make it to the end, but falling off by the wayside might leave you cold and confused – and it's hard to imagine this not actually being Bielik's intention. It's the kind of album you have to in some way want in your life or it could leave you damaged – so listen with caution. But for those with an appetite for the bleak and bizarre, indulge yourselves to your hearts' discontent.
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