Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Hue Blanc's Joyless Ones on Certified PR Records


Damn. Hue Blanc and his Joyless Ones have been around for just over ten years. Think about all the bands that have started and broken up, makes you think you just have to outlast all the bands that had a trendy idea or sound and put out a record or two. Those flashes in the pan are nice but only end up reminding you of a specific time and place. Those weird footnotes that came out of nowhere and immediately sound dated. Then there's Hue who isn't wide eye'd and naive anymore, after a split with Pink Reason and releases on Columbus Discount and SS Records they have just kept on doing what they want to do which is laying on a scuzzy psych with a measure of garage blues here and there.

A-Side's "Bearing On The Moor" opens on a hammond organ falling down the fretboard into a jangly psych in the fuzzy style of The Super Vacations or The Jacuzzi Boys. It's a dense ramshackle pop that has a mind of it's own, Hue on vocals has a buried reverb tough delivery sticking to the shadows to be that menacing presence. Talking to the kids about walking alone at night in his concrete garage smashing and stumbling around at night. Keeping this track laid back and spooky sounding, because the moor is no place for anyone and definitely not this time of year. Howling at the joyless ones, these guys take the scowling seriously and the hooks are part of the show.

B-Side's "Pant and Heave" has a higher thin treble guitar that opens up with a smear of distortion. Hue seems in better spirits here getting into a Replacements style rock sound, not sticking to closely to the script and getting fast and easy with this melody. A couple of drinks should do it, cymbals and solos, the drawl and hoots turning this into a private party, putting this together all in the same room no overdubs, live sounding and calling this the last take.

Pick this up from Certified PR Records on grey marble vinyl.

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