Tesla - Homage

Although they’ve released eight studio albums of largely original music over their forty plus year career, Tesla is no stranger to cover songs.  Not only did they get their start as a cover band, one of their first hits was a cover of Ph.D’s “Little Suzi,” their biggest hit was a cover of “Signs” from the Five Man Electrical Band and they also released two albums of covers in 2007 titled Real To Reel Vol 1 and Vol 2.  Now, with the release of Homage, they are back with another batch of covers.  Unlike those earlier covers albums, which focused more on classic and hard rock, Homage often looks further back to bands and artists from their earlier formative years, and there is also a lot of diversity in the songs they selected.  In addition to the covers, the album does include an original, “Never Alone,” a bluesy ballad in the same vein as their biggest hit “Love Song.”  Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home” kicks the covers off, and along with The Temptations’ Motown classic "I Wish It Would Rain" a little later, is a solid bluesy rendition with plenty of soul and an emotional vocal from Jeff Keith.  When it comes to Queen, “Spread Your Wings” was a Top 40 hit in the UK, but isn’t what would come to most people’s minds as a cover.  Having said that, their performance proves that they made the right choice.  Next up is Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” and while not too far removed from the original, the song sounds like it was made for them and they still do enough with it to make this version their own.  Probably the most unlikely track on the whole album is Elvis’ “If I Can Dream,” a song that was inspired by the recent assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F Kennedy and most notably known for his performance during the ‘68 Comeback Special.  Keith really showcases his vocals here, which are smoother, as he largely steps away from the raspiness he’s known for.  On Badfinger’s “Come And Get It” (written by Paul McCartney), they maintain the insanely infectious pop hooks of the original but give it a little bit more of a rock edge, while James Brown’s “I Got You” is just a plain old fun, upbeat cover.  The next two tracks are somewhat of a surprise and not really songs that would come to mind immediately when thinking of influences.  They give Supertramp’s “Give A Little Bit” a bit of a spin, with more of a rock element (and no horns), and on Climax Blues Band’s “I Love You” they do an excellent job of taking the essence of the song and giving it a little bit of a grittier blues groove (they actually released a different version on the 2011 album Twisted Wires).  They dip their toes in swampy / southern rock on CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “The Ballad Of Curtis Loew,” both of which seem to fit the band perfectly and don’t stray too far from the originals.  Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind” is an absolute classic, and they do her justice with a fantastic take on the soulful tune giving it a bit of a dirty blues, rock element.  Closing the disc out is Hank Williams Sr.’s “Mind Your Own Business,” another fun track that finds them taking his classic country tune and giving it some boogie woogie, honky tonk swagger.  

(Frontiers Music)

  

Interview with Twin Bloom

After informally playing together from time to time, Gvir Aviv, Mickle Nguyen, Joshua Cano, and more recently Sandra Alva, formed the band Twin Bloom, and released their self-titled debut EP.  I recently had the chance to ask Mickle some questions about the EP, working with producer Maryam Qudus and more.

I read that three of you have been playing together for about ten years.  Can you give me a little bit of band history?  Also, having played together that long, what took so long for us to finally get this EP?

The three of us, Josh, Gvir and I, have played together off and on over the years, nothing serious. We shared a practice space and played with some other friends here and there, but nothing formal. Twin Bloom has only been a project for about a year and a half. We hadn't played together regularly in years before that, so when we started back up this time, we made a goal to get in the studio within six months. Sandra was also the missing piece that helped us actually move forward.

With so much time together I'm assuming there were a lot of songs to choose from.  How hard was it to pick these four?

Honestly, "Summer's Gone" was the only mostly finished song we pulled from the past.  If I'm remembering correctly, "Magazine Dreams" and "Under the Current" came from small ideas from back then but were pretty much written together in this new project.  "Signals" was new to the rest of the guys.  It was music I had written on my own and tracked a demo of, but it was different, more keys and drum machine.  It really opened up and improved with the band and Gvir's melody.  So, to actually answer the question, it wasn't hard because we were just pulling on the threads that were interesting to us.  We had a few more ideas we worked on that either got tossed or are now in our set.

The songwriting is credited to the band as a whole.  Is there a certain way the songwriting tends to happen, or does it vary?

It definitely varies.  It tends to begin with a riff or a melody and then grows with the band.  Sandra speeds it up, or Josh comes up with a lead melody or harmony, and it builds from there.  Gvir and I have also come in with more solid ideas, but none of us are too precious about what we bring to the table.  We're okay with dismantling something and putting it back together so we all have our fingerprints on it.

I read that you set a goal of making the record within six months. Did you end up sticking to that and do you think that goal had any impact on the end result?

I think we did, or came very close.  We had some songs that were completely finished going into it, "Magazine Dreams" for instance. The goal made us accountable to being close to ready when we went into the studio with Maryam.  It also timeboxed us so we couldn't just let the process go on forever like we've done in the past.  But I have to say, some of the things that came together in the studio were so good too.

I saw something that said you wanted the songs to evoke a specific feeling or emotion that comes from nostalgia.  I think that you really succeeded with that and also feel like the music and the lyrics do a great job of creating really strong visuals.  I was wondering if you also feel like you were successful in doing that?

I think we did.  When I listen to the EP, each song kind of puts me in a part of a day in the past.  Gvir's lyrics fill in the details around the music. I think there's a sadness and longing to all the songs.

Throughout the EP there are elements of new wave, shoegaze, power pop, jangle rock and even a little country in the twang of the guitars in "Signals."  Who would you consider some of the band's biggest influences?

Everyone in the band has such different musical taste, but there's a good amount of overlap, and I think we just pull from everything in our pasts. The obvious ones are Alvvays, Weezer, Teenage Fanclub.  If I remember correctly, Gvir grew up on his parents' records, Pink Floyd, Queen, then found punk and eventually indie rock like Death Cab and Elliott Smith. Josh grew up on Motown, he's really into electronic music but also pop. He probably has the most eclectic taste of all of us.  Sandra played in metal and screamo-type bands and I know she still loves pop-punk.  I grew up listening to R&B and pop music, and was a big product of early MTV, then found the Southern California punk scene, then hardcore, screamo, emo, but honestly, I listen to everything.  Pop music is really what excites me and I always come back to it, whether it's a band like Alvvays or Robyn or the catchy hooks of our labelmates Motorcycle (I constantly have "Relive It" stuck in my head).  I'm a sucker for a good melody.

Not a comment, but I wanted to say I really love the video for "Summer's Gone."  It really seems to capture the vibe of that song perfectly.

Thank you so much. Working with Kyle Garrett was so great.  He really listened and helped bring the vision we had to life.  We'd love to work with him again, especially after seeing his insane video for Tod Lippy's "The Ache." It's seriously so insane, go check it out.

Maryam Qudus produced the EP.  She has worked with an impressive and quite diverse array of artists.  How was that experience, and what impact did she have on the end result?

Maryam was so fun to work with. I think we were a bit nervous going in, or maybe it was just me.  Not nervous about working with her, more that some of the songs weren't completely done and were finished in the studio, so I wasn't sure how they'd turn out.  I had nothing to worry about with Maryam at the helm.  She really listened to what we wanted but also pushed us in directions we probably never would have thought of, and we're very proud of the finished product.  We're in talks to get back in the studio with her at the end of the year or early next year.  I'm really looking forward to it.

For Twin Bloom you came back to guitar after some time playing bass in other bands.  How was that shift?

It's been so great.  Don't get me wrong, I love playing bass too, but guitar is my main instrument, and before the last two bands I'd played guitar primarily except for filling in here and there.  So going back was easy, and that plus writing with the band has made it extremely fun. Also, getting lost in pedalboard world is always fun for me.

How is the music scene in Oakland and San Francisco, and how has it been for a "new" band?

We're an Oakland band, but the scene in the Bay Area, which includes both Oakland and San Francisco, is thriving, and we've been extremely lucky to have labelmates, friends, and bands we've just met be super supportive.  I can't undersell how much releasing our EP on Dandy Boy has helped.  Otherwise, I think we'd be a little lost.  I do feel like were the new kid on his first day, and some cool kids took us under their wing.

Now that the EP is under your belt, do you think we will be seeing more music soon?

We have some new songs written and are working on more.  You can catch two of them in our current live set.  We'll get them tracked soon with Maryam.

Do you have any plans to expand your touring to other parts of the country?

We would love to.  If the right opportunity presents itself, I think we'd try our hardest to make it work.

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

Thank you Geoff, for your time and for reaching out.  Please take a listen to our s/t EP, out now on all streaming services on Dandy Boy Records. We just started shipping vinyl orders, so if you'd like one, grab it at our Bandcamp. And check out our music video for "Summer's Gone" if you have a minute. 

(Dandy Boy Records)

Luke Haines - Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Bizzy

Over the past twenty plus years, Luke Haines has released albums from bands that have included The Servants, The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder, along with solo albums and three with REM's Peter Buck and members of The Minus 5.  For his latest solo album, Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Bizzy, he delves into the unlikely subject of the magic and magicians from the British children’s television of his youth in the sixties and seventies.  I will say that with a few exceptions there is very little here that most of us outside the UK will be familiar with, but that doesn’t detract from make this a highly enjoyable release.  The title track kicks things off and is a fun, almost hypnotic, psychedelic track with some great fuzzed out guitars.  The psychedelia continues on the next track, the laid-back “Mama Cass,” which is one of the aforementioned exceptions, with lyrics detailing the title subject teaming up with the Scooby Doo gang, something that is relatable over most of the globe (for those of you wanting to delve a little deeper here, Elliot was featured in the 1973 episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies episode titled "The Haunted Candy Factory").  On “Death Card For The Kids,” he dips his toes into glam with more fuzzed out guitars and a stomping beat, while “Tommy Cooper - Chaos Magician,” and later on “TV’s On All The Time,” (with an HR Pufnstuf namecheck that us Americans will recognize) are very reminiscent of the quirkiness of Robyn Hitchcock. “Headchanger,” a song about Worzel Gummidge, a scarecrow with powers that change depending on which of his interchangeable heads he is using (?!?), is another fuzzed out psychedelic track with hints of glam. “Mum” is an upbeat little ditty at just over one minute that’s juxtaposed against dark and disturbing lyrics, while “The Omen 2” is a lilting acoustic track asking, “have you seen The Omen 2?” (apparently it was classified AA in the UK meaning it was suitable for 14-year-olds leading children to ask that question).  Following the folkier “The Standing Stones Of ITV” is “Mick Robertson Says,” a midtempo track, with a touch of glam, about the host of the children’s show Magpie, and the slower, more introspective “Spiritualist Church at 7.30pm Every Other Wednesday.” “Graham Bond Turned On His Mellotron” is a brief little tune of minimalist, swirling psychedelia about David Nixon, a magician and television personality, who also involved in the development and manufacture of the mellotron, and musician Graham Bond, the first rock musician to record using the instrument.  The slow and mysterious “Magic Shop,” along with a reprise of the title track, close the album out perfectly.

(Cherry Red Records)

The Long Ryders - High Noon Hymns

With the release of High Noon Hymns, The Long Ryders are back with their sixth full-length release, and third since getting back together in 2004 after a thirty-year break (with the exception of the occasional live show).  Like its predecessor, the band is comprised of Sid Griffin, Stephen McCarthy, Greg Sowders with McCarthy and Old 97s' Murry Hammond playing bass in place of the late Tom Stevens.  The album is another strong collection of country and roots rock with elements of psychedelia, jangly guitars, soul and even a bit of post-punk.  Opener “Four Winters Away,” is the first of several songs that address their dislike of the current political climate.  It’s a punchy, jangly rocker with a post punk edge and lyrics looking forward to when Trump is out of office.  “World Without Fear” takes a less specific view of the problems of society, dreaming of a world without fear, and is an easygoing midtempo track with some influence from The Byrds.  The next two tracks are back to a more pinpointed opinion on the state of the country.  Channeling a bit of The Rolling Stones, “Stand A Little Further In The Fire” is a rocker addressing the “Liar In Chief,” while “Ramona” is a more laid-back psychedelic, roots rock song criticizing ICE.  The remainder of the album largely moves away from the more political lyrics, starting with “(How How How) How Do You Wanna Be Loved?,” an extremely catchy, driving rocker.  More in line with classic, old school country, “Knoxville On The Line” is a gorgeous, laid-back, deeply emotional and introspective track.  With a guest appearance from X’s D.J. Bonebrake on vibes, “A Hymn For The City Of Angels” is another laid-back cut with a bit of a shuffle, that pays homage to Los Angeles, while “Down To The Well” is a solid, straight-on rootsy rocker and “Wanted Man In Arkansas” is a great, classic country ballad.  Drawing from eighties alt country, but giving it a modern day sound, “A Belief In Birds” is one of the album’s standouts.  Following the catchy, midtempo country rock of “Rain In Your Eyes” and the reflective, introspective “Say Goodbye To Crying,” they close the album with a fresh take on Dylan’s “Forever Young,” highlighted by Wyatt Ellis on mandolin.  High Noon Hymns is another perfect of example of how vital The Long Ryders were and still are.  

(Cherry Red Records)

Shane Embury - Bridge To Resolution

Although not one of the band’s founders, Shane Embury is currently the longest running member of Napalm Death, where he is bassist and main songwriter.  In addition to Napalm Death, he has contributed to many other projects, including Brujeria, Lock Up, Dark Sky Burial and Meathook Seed.  While he’s known for extreme metal, he drew from his love of goth and post-punk of bands like Cocteau Twins, Killing Joke and The Mission, to create his latest solo release, Bridge To Resolution.  Embury provided the vocals, guitar, bass and synths, with Carl Stokes (Cancer, The Groundhogs) playing drums and Simon Efemy, who has worked with a diverse array of artists including Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, The Wonder Stuff, Pantera, Napalm Death, Cancer, The Wildhearts and Diamond Head, producing. The album opens with “Spasm Prayer,” a driving electro tune with gorgeous piano textures that give it an ethereal side and a very hook-heavy pop sensibility.  That pop side continues on “The Dreaming Abyss,” but with a more synth-driven, aggressive and darker side.  On the title track, he fully embraces his influences to create a haunting, dark wave soundscape, while “Thorns In Despair” shifts in dark and brooding industrial direction, but still with an ethereal electronic undercurrent.  With “How To Corrode Memories” Embury draws on more of a post punk influence with its upbeat, swirling, almost chirpy, synths and layered vocals, and on the dreamy “Illusion Guillotine” he returns to the more atmospheric and ethereal darkwave sound enhanced with haunting female backing vocals.  On “Taurus” he changes things up with an upbeat, synth-driven dance beat.  The album closes with the seven-and-a-half-minute epic “The Gift Of Shame Wrapped In Guilt,” which starts as a mesmerizing ambient wall of synths, then slowly builds as piano and vocals come in and then gets even heavier with guitars and percussion while always maintaining that hypnotic essence.  Bridge To Resolution is an outstanding addition to Embury’s discography and one that not only stands up to repeated listens but will have you hearing something new every time.

(Dissonance Productions)

  

Manraze - Lock, Stock & Barrel

Manraze got its start in 2004 when Def Leppard’s Phil Collen had some song ideas that didn’t fit that band, and contacted his former Girl bandmate Simon Laffy.  They started writing some songs together, and since Phil liked the dynamic of a three-piece, they decided to contact Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook to round out the band.  Several years later, in 2008, they released their debut album Surreal, which was followed by album number two, PunkFunkRootsRock in 2011.  Now, with the release of the five CD box set Lock, Stock and Barrel, those two albums have been compiled along with three discs of bonus tracks consisting of live and acoustic cuts, instrumentals and rarities.  

Surreal explodes right out the gate with the angsty, fast-paced punk of “This Is,” followed by the high energy rocker “Turn It Up.”  They then switch things up on “Runnin’ Me Up,” a more laid-back rock song with a hypnotic reggae groove.  “Every Second of Every Day” is up next and is rock with a hooky pop edge that’s not so unlike Def Leppard, as is “Low,” which has come really great guitar work from Collen.  With a taut, swirling groove, “Spinning Out” finds them changing things up once again, with a dirty, almost grungy, sound.  Mixing hard rock with a reggae groove, “Can’t Find My Own Way,” is often strongly reminiscent of The Police’s “Can’t Stand Losing You,” while “Skin Crawl” is a hook heavy, hard rock cut, but with a darker, gritty groove.  The upbeat rock of “Connected To You” has a very infectious, bouncy and upbeat groove and “Halo” has a similar vibe, but with a hint of glam.  Although the high energy rock with a punk edge of “It’s Entertainment” shows some promise, it’s quite repetitive and falls short of the album’s remaining tracks.  Thankfully they turn that around quickly on the closing cut, “Shadow Man,” a dark and moody rocker that is an album highlight.  Quite an impressive release that draws on the influences of their bands, but has a sound all its own.  

The somewhat aptly titled second album PunkFunkRootsRock opens with “Over My Dead Body,” which starts off sounding like old school Alice Cooper or KISS with Collen doing his best Gene Simmons on vocals, before shifting into more of a punky, glam rocker complete with singalong choruses and handclaps.  Continuing in a more experimental direction, including Collen’s effects-laden vocals, “I C U In Everything” sticks to the darker sounding side of things, but gives it an interesting modern rock twist.  They slow things down on “All I Wanna Do,” a poppier track with a laid-back bluesy groove and a sexy, slinky shuffle, while the reggae beat of “Closer To Me” once again brings to mind The Police.  The influence of Collen’s other band can definitely be heard on several tracks including “Lie Lies All Lies”, a rawer tune with a hint of punk attitude, “Dreamland,” a fun rocker with the tighter sound of a three-piece, and “Get Action,” which is Def Leppard through and through all the way down to the title.  They slow things down again on “Edge Of The World,” a slower, dreamy track with a hint of psychedelia, and also throw in a cover of Hendrix’s “Fire,” which is a good version, but doesn’t really add anything to the song to make it stand out.  With its high-octane drive and some great guitar work from Collen, “I, Superbiker” is a raw, adrenaline fueled rocker that to me is the standout track on the album.  Unfortunately it is followed by “Bittersweet,” one of the weaker tracks here that comes across like a Foo Fighters outtake.  They close the album out with the “Dog Bite,” a really strong hard driving rock instrumental with a catchy groove that showcases the musicianship of all three.

As for the three discs of bonus tracks, they start off with one containing eleven instrumentals.  With nine of these coming from songs on the two albums and the vocal versions of the other two appearing as a bonus track on disc five, it’s doubtful that this disc is going to be anybody’s go to.  As for the final two discs, that is a completely different story.  Disc four is titled “Live & Unplugged” and kicks off with nine live cuts recorded at three different venues.  The band is tight and on fire on these tracks, often giving them a kick in the pants compared to the album versions (check out the two performances of “This Is”).  The remaining six cuts are acoustic takes that show they are just as successful going the other direction, including a great version of “Halo” that incorporates a snippet of Al Green’s “Take Me To The River” and an incredibly soulful take on “All I Wanna Do.”  The final disc is Unreleased and Unleashed and actually contains some of the most diverse tracks in the collection.  First up are a couple non-album singles, both containing some outstanding guest backing vocals from gospel singer Debbi Blackwell-Cook.  “I Surrender” is a midtempo track with a bit of a Def Leppard feel, but really set apart with her vocals, while “Take On The World” (the main song in the movie I, Superbiker II - The Showdown, about the British Superbike racing championship) is really cool high energy, foot stomping rocker mixed with a dance beat.  The other unreleased songs here are “Immaculate,” a dark, really heavy instrumental that has a movie soundtrack vibe and a bit of an industrial influence and “Original Sin,” a really strong, gritty rocker with a darker side.  The remaining tracks are a Deep Dub instrumental version of “Turn It Up,” that turns it on its head and sounds nothing like the original, a heavy dance mix version of “Halo,” a dark, electro-industrial mix of “Skin Crawl” and club dance remixes of “Low” and “Get Up.”  All of them put a nice spin on the original and are well worth a listen.  While it's quite possible that Manraze fell under the radar of alot of people, which is surprising with the musical lineage of its members, Lock, Stock & Barrel is the perfect way to correct that in one nice five CD package. 

(HNE Recordings)

The 69 Eyes - I Survive EP

For the past thirty-seven years, and amazingly with only one lineup change all the way back in 1982, Finland's The 69 Eyes have continuously cranked out their own brand of what has been called "goth 'n roll."  Now with the release of their new EP I Survive they are back at it again, with another collection that meshes elements of goth (especially due to Jyrki 69's distinctive deep goth vocals), rock, sleaze and glam.  The EP opens with the title track, which features a guest appearance from guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) and is an infectious, rocking anthem with great singalong choruses.  Next up is a cover of the Thin Lizzy classic "Cold Sweat," and while it isn't too far removed musically from the original, the vocals really give it their own spin.  Loaded with some great guitar work, "In The Misery" is a straight-ahead hard rocker that brings to mind The Cult in the Sonic Temple era.  With former Monster Magnet and The Atomic Bitchwax guitarist Ed Rundell guesting, "Devil's Rose" closes out the album and does a great job of showing their darker and dirtier side.  Whether you are a seasoned fan or this is your introduction, I Survive is a great addition to your collection. 

(Black II Black Records)

  

Adrian Belew - The Atlantic Years 1989 – 1992 

Adrian Belew’s early career kicked into gear when he started playing with Frank Zappa followed by working with the likes of David Bowie, Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club.  In the ensuing years he recorded the first three of his albums with King Crimson, released three solo albums and two with his band The Bears.  At this point he focused again on his solo career, resulting in three more albums, all of which were were released on Atlantic Records, and brings us to the three CD Box Set The Atlantic Years 1989 - 1992.

The first of these releases was Mr. Music Head, which was an all-digital release that found him playing all the instruments with the exception of Mike Barnett playing bass on two cuts.  The album’s opening track “Oh Daddy,” is a really fun duet with his then eleven-year-old daughter Audie that reached number five on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks.  It’s a super catchy pop tune with humorous lyrics where she asks questions about when he will be rich and famous.  Some of the other highlights include the lighthearted pop of “One Of These Days”, “Coconuts,” a percussion heavy track full of twangy guitar, the bouncy, piano-driven “Bad Days,” the experimental blues of “Bumpity Bump” and the intriguing yet gorgeous, everchanging, stripped down “1967.”  While the majority of the album shows a poppier, albeit offbeat, side to Belew, there is still plenty of experimentation on tracks like “Peaceable Kingdom,” “Hot Zoo” and “Cruelty To Animals” (this track was originally only found on the CD version).  

While he was working on the follow-up album, Young Lions, Belew joined Bowie as musical director and guitarist on his Sound+Vision tour.  That resulted in Bowie co-writing and singing lead on two of that album’s tracks, including “Pretty Pink Rose,” which hit number two on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the US.  It’s a catchy tune with a rock edge that’s not so unlike his work around that time with Tin Machine.  The other Bowie contribution is “Gunman,” a hard driving track with a tense vocal performance and some really creative guitar work from Belew.  Other standout tracks include “Looking For A U.F.O.,” a fun little tune that sounds like ELO crossed with Motown, “Men In Helicopters,” a quirky, yet very catchy, pop tune with a strong environmental warning (another hit, reaching seventeen on the US Modern Rock chart), the laid-back, jazzy “Phone Call From The Moon” and “I Am What I Am,” somewhat of an instrumental that really showcases his guitar playing and incorporates taped excerpts of sermons from Nashvile radio evangelist Prophet Omega.  The album also contains a couple of covers with a reworked version of “Heartbeat,” a song he originally released with King Crimson, which has a similar vibe to that version, but is a little more stripped down with more of a pop feel, and a fairly faithful version of The Traveling Wilburies’ “Not Alone Anymore,” that was a tribute to Roy Orbison.  Also included on this disc are a couple of bonus tracks that were originally released on the “Pretty Pink Rose” maxi single.  “Shoe Salesman” is a nice little acoustic guitar and vocal track with some witty, pun-filled lyrics and “Neptune Pool” is a gorgeous, dream-like instrumental that sounds like it could be a movie score.  

Inner Revolution was Belew’s final album for Atlantic and often shows the influence pop music had on him and his affinity for more pop influenced hooks.  The album open with the title track, which is a more straight-on rock song with some strong pop sensibilities.  The midtempo “This Is What I Believe In,” is reflective of his work with King Crimson and really showcases his impressive guitar work.  The pop really shows itself on the next two tracks with “Standing In The Shadow,” which has an edgier side with distorted guitars and vocals and “Big Blue Sun,” a super catchy tune that, along with “Birds,” is strongly reminiscent of ELO.  Further mining the pop world, the bouncy, upbeat “I’d Rather Be Right Here” is a bit reminiscent of George Harrison’s version of “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You,” while “The War In the Gulf Between Us” sounds a bit like Squeeze.  The diversity of pop music and bands that influenced him can be heard in tracks like “I Walk Alone,” which finds him once again channeling Roy Orbison, the upbeat Beatles-esque “Everything” and “Heaven’s Bed,” with its XTC sounding quirkiness.  The album closes out with “Member Of The Tribe,” a more classic upbeat rock and roll tune that again showcases his innovative guitar work.  Although definitely not without its unique quirkiness, this era of Belew's contained some of his most accessible music and make for a really fun listen.  

(Esoteric Recordings)