the black watch - Here & There

 

Mick did one of his excellent IDHAS Interviews with John Andrew Frederick last year and it was a really interesting read. His influences were not what you might expect and I've always felt it wrong to continually compare the black watch with the Indie brigade of the late 80s.

There is far far more to Frederick than that and this comparison frustratingly continues though the 20 albums thus far. Albums that reveal a curiosity and ambition seldom seen this far in a career. He seems unwilling to look back and though not everything hits the spot. most of it is not far off.

This current line up could very well be the best one yet and his continued work with guitarist Andy Creighton is really paying dividends. I've always been a big admirer of Creighton and two of them suit each other down to the ground.

The two are joined here by Kip Boardman and Misha Bullock to form the quartet. Here & There is particularly special for me due to the inclusion of two other talents. Ben Eshbach does the strings and those who know me know that my love of The Sugarplastic remains unchecked. The Backing Vocals are from Gretchen's Wheel's Lindsay Murray who has the voice of an angel. 

I've always felt that the black watch were more of a cross between something involving Mitch Easter and The Church than the My Bloody Valentine mentions and this album is more proof than ever. I defy anyone to write a song as beautiful as Dream Slow, the riff is just splendid.

Yet compare that to the driving The Real You and you'll note how the variety here is the key. What You Will is something approaching shoegazing 90's Psych, yet Lora, Not A Day Goes By That I Don't Very Wonder How You Are is as close to Steve Kilbey that you are ever gonna get without being him with a killer Fuzz solo.

A Day In Pompei is Psych Prog, if there is such a thing. I'm sure there must be. The one thing in common here is the way that songs are built on riffs, it doesn't matter which instrument, all of them have incredible hooks. Never ordinary, the black watch are beyond most of the supposed new breed. In their fourth decade, they still sound fresh and new.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

...........................