The desert rock scene of California, despite its arid sands, has been a fertile land in terms of growing so many classic acts, spawning the likes of Fu Manchu and Kyuss and its many children. My last encounter with a stalwart of that scene was also my last live show for some time care of Mondo Generator, fronted by an angry as fuck Nick Oliveri frantically spitting his ire at the world. By complete contrast is Brant Bjork’s latest eponymous album, a collection of songs so damn laid back he must have been practically horizontal recording them.

“Stripped back” is a term that could have been practically coined for this album, going back to basics and eschewing any studio trickery for a sound that feels like each track was a one and done, needing no polishing or technical wizardry to convey its message. ‘Jungle In The Sound’ has Brant singing intimately into the mike over minimal hypnotic beats, almost as if he were singing to himself for his own pleasure, albeit there is plenty of pleasure to spread around to the listener, a vibe continued into ‘Mary (You’re Such A Lady)’, hints of Country coming through in the twang of the guitar. The tempo picks up, but not too much folks, “mellow” is the watchword for this album, with what is arguably the highlight in an album of highlights, ‘Jesus Was A Bluesman’, the lyrics a mix of all those hazy cosmic conversations had in the wee small hours after some relaxants and a simple story of a musician on the road, all set to guitar licks that are simultaneously anti-commercial, yet as catchy as all hell.

Talking of The Blues, a nice and sleazy crawl weaves its way through ‘Cleaning Out The Ashtray’, a title that itself sounds like it could be some long forgotten filthy term from the “lemon squeezing” “honey dripping” lexicon of Blues euphemisms. Stoner vibes dominate ‘Duke Of Dynamite’, a number so minimalistic I could practically imagine the man playing it live by himself, guitar in hand, bass drum and cymbals being in easy kicking distance. ‘Shitkickin’ Now’ has a more psychedelic Seventies sound, very appropriate for the fuzz worshipping label releasing the album, whilst ‘Stardust & Diamond Eyes’ has a downright funky jazzy beat before slowing down to a THC infused drag for the last couple of minutes. Hell, for the first four minutes of the track I kept on hearing a horn section joining in, albeit only in my mind. The whole is brought to a close by the acoustic Country simplicity of ‘Been So Long’, a track redolent of the echoing empty spaces of the desert scene from which Brant Bjork emerged.

Brant Bjork is not an artist that needs to prove himself, and with his massive contribution to the music scene he could frankly just rest on his laurels and massive back catalogue. However, it’s clear that he is a man who needs to create, be it as leader of a group, or as on this eponymous album, as a one-man band, and if this LP is anything to go by, he has a lot more to treat the world to. Even if, somehow, you are of reading this review without knowing of his past work, consider this a starting point to explore his music; you will not be disappointed.

(8.5/10 Spenny)

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