the black watch - The Hypnotizing Sea
by Andrew Carver
published: 24 / 5 / 2007
Label:
Pink Hedgehog
Format: CD
intro
Intelligent and witty indiepop on the latest album from the Black Watch, the moniker for Californian musician John Andrew Frederick
John Andrew Frederick has been making pop music with a revolving band of players under the Black Watch name for two decades. Although based in California (Santa Barbara, to be precise), Frederick’s inspiration lives across the oceans: In Britain and to an even larger degree in New Zealand and Australia. The noisy kickoff to ‘Innercity Garden’ sounds like a refugee from 1980's New Zealand noisepop like the Cleans. The metallic squeal, tremulous vocal and the piano-sitar-radio mish-mash at the end of the title track charts a similar course. Most of the rest of the ‘The Hypnotizing Sea’ tones things down a notch and keeps its feet in the territory laid out by the Go-Betweens. Acoustic strummer ‘Buttercup Fairchild’ – an ode to a troubled beauty – sets the tone. Frederick’s voice is pleasant, but not blessed with an overwhelming range. Instead he gets by on intelligent, sometimes tart, wordplay. This also justifies his harmonica-heavy tribute to Bob Dylan. Fans of Antipodean pop, or the witty lyrics of performers like Edwyn Collins will find the set entertaining.
Track Listing:-
1 Innercity Garden2 Buittercup Fairchild
3 Papercut
4 Dylan Dylan Dylan
5 The Hypnotizing Sea
6 The Teacup Song
7 Willing To Wait
8 How I Go Round
9 Another Summer Coming
10 The Shakespeare Song
11 Story Of Your Life
12 Room 407
13 The Way Of The World
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/theblackwatchmusichttps://theblackwatch.bandcamp.com
Label Links:-
http://www.pinkhedgehog.com/https://en-gb.facebook.com/Pink-Hedgehog-Records-195934540420844/
http://www.last.fm/label/Pink+Hedgehog+Records
https://www.youtube.com/user/PinkHedgehogRecords
interviews |
|
Interview with John Andrew Fredrick (2024) |
|
| John Andrew Fredrick, the frontman with LA cult band the black watch, talks to John Clarkson about his book trilogy, 'The King of Good Intentions', which is about a 90's indie rock band, and his group's two forthcoming albums, 'The Morning Papers Have Given Us the Vapours' and 'Weird Rooms'. |
| Interview (2022) |
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart