Interpreting E.G. Phillips is no easy task, but this time it’s even more difficult than usual, because the new release ‘The Evil Pooh Bear of San Felipe’ is no ordinary Americana folk song – it’s a meta-touristic psychogram that plays with surreal imagery and ironic depth of field. What begins as a sun-drenched journey through Baja California turns into a bizarre confrontation with a demonised childhood idol: Winnie the Pooh, disfigured into a symbol of repressed memories and cultural transformation.
Phillips uses the narrative power of folk to tell a story that is less geographical than psychological. In The bear’s ‚evil stare‘ becomes an allegory for the uncanny. This is in Freud’s sense. It is the familiar that suddenly seems strange and threatening. Between ceviche, horchata and border posts, a critique of tourist escapism and the longing for authenticity in a world full of staged experiences unfolds.
Musically, the track remains minimalist, almost laconic – a sonic road trip that leaves room for the lyrics. The last line, ‘I got your honey,’ is not only a macabre punchline, but an echo of possession, seduction and the dark sides of nostalgia. ‘The Evil Pooh Bear of San Felipe’ is a song like a fever dream – clever and utterly unique.

facebook bandcamp instagram youtube