Scott Pinkmountain & the Golden Bolts of Tone – The Full Sun
It doesn’t exactly sound anything much like a rock opera, this album, but in some ways it rather inexplicably feels that way to me. Equally inexplicably, although the sound is cohesive and quite unified, it still seems like a somewhat sprawling album veering wildly from one style to another. This is probably why it has taken me so long to write my review.
His background is in avant garde composition and free jazz saxophone, so I suppose the fact that the record retains some of this blood is no surprise. It is still basically an album of songs, as we narrow-minded indie kids would describe them, but if you think of them as composed rather than written that might help build the right sort of picture.
For all the foundations of the album might owe a lot to rock operas past – I’m thinking smatterings of Andrew Lloyd Webber, back when he genuinely was cutting edge, and yes there was such a time before you say anything clever – the actual sound itself reminds me more of the Canadian indie collective bands of a couple of years back. So yes, Andrew Lloyd Webber writing an early Wolf Parade album, or Broken Social Scene, or something like that. Clear as mud, isn’t it, but that’s about the best I can do.
Recalling Samamidon’s recent performances at the Bowery and his free jazz-rooted fiddle reels, it seems there is a kind of music that builds up the levels of difficulty just about until the point where nervous laughter starts to percolate through the audience, and then breaks into brilliant melody once again in a sort of explosive catharsis of deliverance. This album treads such a path on numerous occasions, and sometimes I wonder if it has always been judged quite right, because occasionally it kind of leaves me a little wanting.
Often, however, this is really very good. Abyssinia is long, but sustains every one of its ten minutes. There are pop songs too, sprinkled in amongst the more ambitious moments. It can be difficult, at times, but if you have the patience to let it sink in and make sure you listen to it as a whole album as often as possible, then I think there is a lot of this album that you will really enjoy.
Scott Pinkmountain & the Golden Bolts Of Tone – Lucy
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Scott Pinkmountain & the Golden Bolts Of Tone – Abyssinia
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I had this about a month ago & just couldn’t like it no matter how differently I approached it.
If nowt else, his/their name immediately had me all Mavis Wilton (née Riley)s.
Apart from not being arsed to look up who the fuck Mavis Wilton is, I do know what you mean. I listened to this dozens of times over and really found it hard to tell what I thought. There are definitely some really good bits, but I could never get much of a handle on how I felt about the album as a whole. It seems that I nearly thought it was great, nearly thought it was pretty crap, and then ended up just sort of settling in the middle, without swinging either way.
There is quite a bit on there that I really do enjoy listening to, though.
I had this about a month ago & just couldn’t like it no matter how differently I approached it.
What did you – like – sneak up on it, jump out on it, walk past pretending not to pay attention?
I’ve got an image of you leaping about your studio when this album arrived like Cato in the Pink Panther movies.
Is Mr. Dyran eating a bowl of Cheekios for breakfast these days?
Every day.
Have to keep my cheeky up!