First Impressions...

Robyn Hitchcock and The Venus 3

Goodnight Oslo

Yep Roc

There is justice in the world. Robyn Hitchcock is still making music and the world is better for it. If only the world knew. Robyn Hitchcock started making music with the Softboys in 1976. Their album "Underwater Moonlight" (1980) remains a must have for anyone interested in the underground . Hitchcock went on to cut some solo albums in the early 80's and front the Egyptians throughout the 80's. Although his albums have all been critically praised Robyn Hitchcock's musical musings on sex, food and death proved too left of center for the mainstream. In 2006 Robyn put together a group of friends to write a record with for the album that would become Ole Tarantula. Venus 3 were none other than three fifths of R.E.M. as we know it...today. Peter Buck (R.E.M., guitar), Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, The Minus 5, Bass), and Bill Reiflin (Ministry, drums). The formula worked and the result was one of 2006's best albums. Goodnight Oslo continues the tradition of writing and recording within a two week period. A process Peter Buck favors and has proven essential. An approach that his mainstay band, R.E.M., had used throughout much of their career, but has unfortunately eschewed throughout much of the 00's resulting in too much time put into producing the albums and left them with music that has been dragged down. He has a point. Goodnight Oslo shares the same energy that made Ole Tarantula such a great listen. 

Throughout the 10 tracks here, guitars jangle, organs pump and harmonies coax you to sing along. Mr.Hitchcock has always had an ear for melody and each track on Goodnight Oslo will slowly imbed itself into that part of your brain that makes you sing songs in your sleep. The incredibly infectious "Your Head Here" lifts a guitar lick from Chris Isaak's Wicked Game to great effect, turning a once solemn love song lead into pure pop jangle perfection. From the same song, the lyric "Ring my chimes, I'm a ding dong daddy!" only provides credence to the often used adjective, "Whimsical" to describe Robyn Hitchcock's lyrical approach. Syd Barrett is also often used a point of reference. His vocals remain a cross between John Lennon and the Monkeys. He has always peppered his sets with covers from his favorite artists from the Byrds to The Beatles To Pink Floyd. These comparisons do no justice to a catalogue that is essentially pure Hitchcock. The album and it's songs were inspired by a trip to Oslo that Robyn took with some friends. The songs seem to be meditations on the passing of time and life and death as interpreted through country floor stompers (Hurry For The Sky), jangle pop (Your Head Here) as well as 70's good vibes as heard on "Saturday Groovers", a song that begs you to clap along. Guests include Colin Meloy of the Decemberists, Sean Nelson of Harvey danger and one time Egyptian Morris Windsor. The song "16 Years" stands alone as the darkest song on the album, a song that explores wasted time with an eery Peter Buck guitar lead, picking and building throughout. "I'm Falling" went from the track I would skip for the preferred stomp and skiffle of the following track "Hurry For The Sky", to become one of my favorite tracks on the album. This is typical of Robyn Hitchcock albums. Every song eventually wins you over...the awkward "Intricate Things" and  "Up To Our Necks", a song penned for the latest Jonathan Demme film Rachel Getting Married are no exception. The latter boasting mandolin strums that lay ground to bursts of horns while Robyn Hitchcock declares "Forget yourself and maybe you'll forget me."  Album closer "Goodnight Oslo" washes away the sweetness of the preceeding tracks with a brooding  guitar lead picked by Buck, not heard on an R.E.M. album since the 80's. The song boasts vocal harmonies between McCaughey and Hitchcock on the chorus hightening the peeks of a song that never quite breaks out, but is better for it . The vocal harmonies displayed by this group is proving to be the Venus 3's secret weapon. We can expect great things to come from Mr.Hitchcock and his Venus 3. It's not John Lennon. It's not Syd Barrett. It's Robyn Hitchcock.

First Impressions...

GRAND DUCHY

PETITS FOURS

Cooking Vinyl

Since disbanding The Pixies in 1993, nobody can accuse Charles Thompson IV aka Black Francis aka Frank Black of taking it easy . In this writers humble opinion he has remained one of the hardest working and prolific musical artists today. Having abandoned the songs and sounds that made him the 80's underground rock god in favor of finding what would seem like new identities with each new release. He has released at least one album a year since 1993, except in 1995 and 1997. His solo career has touched all musical grounds from bizarre surf pop to desert rock to country laments. Through every new release it seems Frank Black Francis could not get the world to let go of his former self. As a result he never quite came across as enjoying himself. Enter a divorce and therapy in 2003, a Pixies reunion soon after and a new wife immortalised in the song Violet from Honeycomb in 2003. It is this partnership that has allowed Grand Duchy to materialise. It is safe to say at least on the surface, Frank is allowing himself to have some fun.

Violet is a self confessed fan of 80's music. Frank has said he did his best to destroy the 80's. This combination makes Grand Duchy a guilty pleasure to his sometime fans who couldn't quite get behind his recent soul searching releases. To the ardent fan this is a great addition to a unique catalogue of great music. It should be noted that this is the first time Frank has shared a name and stood as an equal member of a band since The Pixies.

The nine tracks on Petits Fours cover enough ground to make the album and enjoyable and well paced listen throughout, although you can't help that feel that the the project hasn't completely found it's voice yet. Opening song Come On Over To My House sounds familiar enough that it could very well be a left over from  the latest Black Francis release SVN FNGRS if it weren't for an 80's keyboard part and slick production.  Violet takes lead vocals on Lovesick, a song that might be mistaken as a track from the latest Metric album. Her vocals bounce between Emily Haines and Kim Deal throughout the album. "Fort Wayne" has strummy acoustic guitars, Frank singing falsetto " Once I was playing down in Fort Wayne....the kids were swayin', to the rock n roll beat, confused in the wheat from all the doom sayin' " Violet chimes in with a little spoken word in french and some la,la,la's. "Blacksuit" sounds like it could have been written by Robert Smith, or by the Pixies had they been a Cure wanna-be band. The Long Song rides a Pixies baseline if ever there was one, sprawling crunchy guitars are married to distorted synths and a honey sweet lead vocal by Violet. This album is another example of the new life that seems to have been be breathed into Mr.Thompson of late. It seems he has found himself a new partner in life as well as in song, a sentiment best said in the incredibly catchy "Ernesinde",   "I've been waiting for you Baby, since the day that you were born". In his ever expanding catalogue file this one under Pop.