Painted Doll - How To Draw Fire

 

Every Sunday evening, Mick Dillingham and I have a phone call, you know physically talk to each other. We largely sort out the world, but also discuss that week's album releases. We don't always agree, but when the subject came around to Painted Doll, virtually in unison, we both said there's something really interesting in that album, but I'm not sure what it is. Further listening here, led me to maybe understand why. 

One of the really galling things about Pop Rock albums in recent years has been the front loading of albums. Three killer songs that hook you and when you listen to the rest of the album, it all seems more than a tad disappointing. Quite the opposite happened here. When you listen to the first two tracks, they sounded somewhere between Classic Rock and AOR, but there were hooks that more than peak your attention.

Listening further to the duo's second album, you realise that they are those things, but also are neither. There is so much variety and genre hopping on display that getting the right track order must have been a nightmare. Those opening two songs are great, but I'm not sure I'd have opened with them, although I have to add that further listens to the album have led to On The Ropes becoming a real favourite. The band describe themselves as a mixture of Psych, Power Pop, Prog and Rock and if anything they understate themselves.

I've always been a fan of Valley Lodge, so knew about Dave Hill's Power Pop chops and I also admired his WFMU Radio Show and comedy talents. In Painted Doll, he has teamed up with Chris Reifert from Autopsy, yep the Death Metal band, Autopsy. Maybe now you are starting to see the variety explained.

Power Pop fans will adore both Let Me Get You High Tonight and You Were Everywhere, but there are 12 songs here and directions veer wildly. Slow Armageddon is very turn of the 70's Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Kicks is an Acoustic Extreme and Idlewild could be a Sweet B Side and boy does it burst out. The common denominators here are foot tapping songs with killer choruses and some fantastic guitar hooks and solos. The whole thing is surprisingly commercial, wonderfully so. 

Midnight Morning is pure UK Glam Rock and Blue Postcards ventures into late 60's Psych. There's even an anthem to close proceedings with Leave A Light On. There isn't a duff song present. How To Draw Fire is a splendid listen. Plus you also now have the punchline to what do you cross a Death Metal musician with a comedian? Highly Recommended!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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