By Jay Mukherjee
I first became aware of The Black Watch nearly 25 years ago, thanks to an intriguing review in Big Takeover Magazine of their 2002 album Jiggery Pokery. I haven't stopped listening to them since.
It's hard to believe that John Andrew Frederick and his rotating cast of musicians have just released their 26th album, Varied Superstitions, on Blue Matter Records, also home to another fantastic cult band, The Bevis Frond.
If you're not familiar with The Black Watch, allow me a (predictably food-related for those that know me) analogy. Every year after Thanksgiving, I gather the leftovers and simmer them in turkey stock made from the carcass. Once the flavors meld, the resulting soup is often more delicious than any of the individual dishes on their own. That's how I hear The Black Watch; their music carries echoes of all my favorite bands, yet the final result often surpasses its influences.
The new album follows this recipe beautifully. "Living Backwards" and "Precious Little" evoke The Frank and Walters and the jangly sophistication of the Setanta Records roster. There are shades of the Flying Nun Records sound as well, though not so much the driving energy of The Bats or The Clean, but rather the introspective melancholy of The Verlaines and The Chills. The title track and the closing "Pretending" even find Frederick channeling Graeme Downes at his most poignant. There's also a touch of light shoegaze on "In This Town" which adds another pleasing flavor to the mix.
Lyrically, the songs feel rooted in our current era. The standout "Some People Will Believe" cuts to the bone with its refrain: "Some people will believe / Almost anything these days / Some people will believe / Almost anyone these days." Meanwhile, "Sorry Wounds" poses the disarming question, "Have we all gone insane?" in a chorus reminding me of something Vox would deliver with The Chameleons.
The album's pinnacle may be its opener. "It Is What It Isn't" begins with a propulsive Krautrock-style rhythm and builds toward a blissful outro. Just when you think it's winding down, the song shifts keys and lifts off again on a sweet melodic guitar-line that recalls The Wild Swans and Echo & the Bunnymen. Superb.
Trouser Press is quoted as saying something to the effect that even with great reviews, The Black Watch had only garnered "a following the size of a kitchen sponge." Sad, but probably true. Maybe I can do my small part to help them reach mop level.
Either way, Varied Superstition is destined for my top 10 albums of of the year list, and and it's only March. Then again, that's where most Black Watch albums tend to land for me anyway.
Varied Superstitions by The Black Watch is out now. Details via Blue Matter Records, or via Bandcamp below.
[Photo: The Black Watch]