Bevis Frond
Triptych
[Rubric; 1988; r:2001]
Rating: 7.3
The Bevis Frond emerged fully-formed from the skull of British
rock. A cult favorite ever since Nick Saloman created the band
in the 80s, it has stayed with a heavy 60s-style psychedelic
sound, resisting all Brit-pop fashion and trends. Over the
years, the Frond has grown from a one-man band recording in a
bedroom to a trio that works in an actual studio; but listening
to the first few records-- now back in print thanks to Rubric
Records-- it's surprising to hear how little the man has
changed.
As shown on the Frond's third album, Triptych, Saloman
has always had a mature, unpretentious, and frankly, drug-free
sensibility. Under all the exotica and period sounds, he makes
what is, at its core, meat-and-potatoes rock. Modern audiences
can dig the quirks and humor without hearing addled lyrics
about how far away the singer's hand looks at the end of his
arm. Saloman employs eloquent, left-field imagery to address
concrete, sometimes mundane subjects-- getting old, going to
court, dealing with the old man who owns the guitar shop-- and
his swagger-free voice and genuine English accent lend the
wordplay conviction.
Every song has a great hook or riff, and Saloman's guitar sears
across these lo-fi recordings. The solos jam icicles in your
eyeballs. The riffs slam your solar plexus. The few long jams
stick to fundamentals and eschew free-form noodling. He sounds
like he could go on forever, yet he manages to stop before you
feel like checking your watch.
Triptych was originally self-released by Saloman in 1988,
and he took a few liberties with the recording. He gave his
four-year-old daughter a percussion feature; she's okay. He
invited his mum to sing on his cover of "Hey Joe"; she's
brilliant. (Only David Letterman has put a mother to better
use in the service of art.) On the other hand, the two
instrumentals just fill space-- album opener "Into the Cryptic
Myst," a bland relic that does nothing but set the mood, and
"Phil Exorcises the Daemons," a short piece with drummer Phil
Collyer that never takes off.
Around those tangents sit some of the Frond's best pop songs.
"Lights Are Changing" rides on a Byrds-like riff and a catchy
chorus. Mary Lou Lord almost had a hit with her cover of this
song, but her glossy, nice-girl spin on the tune can't compare
to this raw original, where Saloman pushes his vocals higher
than they can comfortably go. It's followed by more fine
retro-pop: Saloman splays killer riffs and a two-guitar attack
across "Gemini Machine" and "Nowhere Fast," while the ballads
"Old Man Blank" and "Corinthian" have gentle vocals and
classic flower power organ lines.
The album closes with "Hey Joe" and six catchy but inessential
bonus tracks. They're a breath of cool air after the centerpiece
of the album: "Tangerine Infringement Beak," a twenty-minute
one-man jam session that Saloman plays like the Four Horsemen
of Garage Rock. Sprawling and unruly, it treads perilously
near total indulgence-- but closer inspection reveals that the
song is neatly organized into sections and paced for maximum
effect. And when Saloman runs out of lyrics, he admits it and
segues to the three-minute organ/noise coda. Very sensible.
-Chris Dahlen, January 24th, 2002