Desert infused psychedelic blues
Brant Bjork has apparently written a record which features break beats and funk influences which is yet to see the light of day. If this merely reinforces the idea that BB can do pretty much anything, then these two lines on “Humble Pie”, the second of “Tao Of The Devil’s” seven tracks, tell you where his head is at here:
“I was born in the heat of Southern California” he sings. “’Bout five country miles from the heart of Semado” and if that squarely puts this in the desert, then the cool as you like fuzzy riffery of the track make it a real highlight.
It has a bluesy vibe and sonically belongs in the 1970s, but in truth the die for this has been rather cast by the slightly more monolithic and meandering vibe of opener “The Gree Heen” (you’d imagine the Sweet Leaf is the subject here), but – and we know this sounds odd – if Alice In Chains went blues it’d be in this ball park.
“Stackt” with its bass heavy rumble is something more akin to that which we are used to, while “Luvin” is simply full to the brim with good stuff. Big thick riffs, a real strut and a glorious innocence to the lyrics (“if I had the cash I’d buy you a rainbow, but you know I can’t afford the sky” is just one line amongst many), while “Biker No.2” does its business down the low end, and sees some magnificent wah-wah guitar.
However, like the man himself, just when you think you’ve got this record pegged, it goes off on a quite stunning tangent. “Dave’s War” is a close on 10-minute epic, which is grooving rock n roller one minute and a psychedelic wanderer the next, and occasionally does both together – and still hangs things together with a huge big hook.
To finish, there’s an Eastern throb about the title track, but this is perhaps the most overt stoner rock thing here, going where it chooses without ever really – if we are honest – going anywhere.
That’s the weakest song, perhaps, on the whole, though, “Tao Of The Devil” is very good, and occasionally it touches moments of greatness. What he’ll do next only Brant Bjork really knows, but there is no doubt that it’ll be compelling.
Rating 7/10
