Following the break-up of Black Midi, Cameron Picton went in an entirely new direction. My New Band Believe from his new band called, obviously, My New Band Believe, is as far as you could get from his last group's music. Where Black Midi favored clamor, Cameron Picton's new effort leans on swelling string-filled hooks, for example.
"Target Practice", the opener, seems to be drawing upon British music hall traditions, the same that fueled stuff like "Oh! You Pretty Things" by David Bowie, while "In the Blink of an Eye" is manic folk. While this material is more accessible in some ways than that of Black Midi, it's also still iconoclastic; Cameron Picton clearly is pursuing his own muse here, and not attempting in the slightest way to replicate his old act's unique power. For that, he's worthy of praise immediately.
Some material here, like last month's single "Love Story", is just straightforward and beautiful, while some other pieces, like the rambling "Heart of Darkness", are a little more complicated. On this one, Picton favors an approach that sees things veering from strings, to what sounds like a gamelan amid various bits of percussion. It's bracing, but not discordant, if that makes sense. On numbers like "Opposite Teacher", Cameron nearly loses the plot as Queen-isms threaten to overtake the track. Still, I dig what he's at least attemping here and on "Actress", an epic gem.
My New Band Believe is a bold record. It's not going to melt your eardrums, but it's going to surprise you, yeah. Cameron Picton is off on a wonderful tangent with this one, and it's the sort of album that indicates nearly a complete break with the artist's previous outfit. For all that was bracing and fiery about Black Midi, My New Band Believe instead leans heavily into the lush and sweeping. The pieces on this album don't necessarily have the strongest, or most obvious of melodies, but there's a beauty here that is worth celebrating. More importantly, it's worth applauding Cameron Picton for even attempting something like this and succeeding on some level.
My New Band Believe by My New Band Believe is out on Friday via Rough Trade Records.
[Photo: Daisy Ayscough and Tomos Ayscough (syntax.error)]