The Black Watch

After the Gold Room

(Eskimo)

Record Review by Marcel Feldmar

The Black Watch was created way back in 1987 by John Andrew Fredrick, who also created this little Eskimo Record label to go with it. Now, twenty years have moved by, and there has been a lot of songs, a lot of line-up changes, a handful of releases (including a nice CD out on Zero Hour Records, 1995’s Amphetamines) and a lot of writing in between the layers of passing time.

Now, with this little EP, it looks like the Black Watch are gearing up to infect the ears of all those listening once again.

The current line-up, along with John, includes Scott Taylor on bass, Rick Woodard playing the drums and Steven Schayer doing the guitar thing. Steven also spent some time playing in the Chills, which definitely helps in creating this slow sunshined and slightly fuzzy pop. Scott and Rick played together in Velouria, who also have some music on the Eskimo label.

A couple of the songs on this EP are from the full length, “Icing The Snow Queen”, and I know that’s an album that I’m going to need to hear, like as soon as possible.

The first song hits the hardest and the fastest, rocking out with upbeat guitar fuzz and distorted vocals flowing alongside, like some My Bloody Valentine picnic party. It feels, well, just right. Then the music slides into a deeper and darker flow, the vocals suddenly strong and smooth and drifting over the driving guitar lines and the pulse pushing drum beat. There’s a little brit-pop hiding in here, but also something that’s tied to a more singer-songwriter sensibility. Julian Cope meets Robyn Hitchcock and the go and party down with the Lucy Show, or something like that. It echoes, it reverberates, it pushes into sunshine.

The third track, “The Things I Never Said”, hits out with a slight Jesus and Mary Chain drum beat, but the vocals and the melody take it out into springtime weather, while the constant hum of quiet distortion underneath it all feels like an oceanside memory of a childhood dream. Then the next song hops up and skips around, all bright and cheery. This is a song you could hold hands with.

“Quartz Pink Cloud,” the second song that will be appearing on the full-length, is a bit more melancholic, but still, even in its quiet and mellow mood, there are punctuations of guitar and a rhythmic solidity that keep it moving forwards with the rest of the songs, with this music, with this band.