Brian Jonestown Massacre - My Bloody Underground

  by Andrew Carver

published: 31 / 3 / 2008

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Review

It’s been fourteen years since Anton Newcombe rounded up a bunch of musicians and headed into the studio to record as the Brian Jonestown Massacre. On ‘My Bloody Underground’, the band's thirteenth album which was recorded in Liverpool and Reykjavik, he covers a huge distance, ranging from the shoegaze inspired fuzz of the band’s 1995 debut 'Methodrone', through the freak folk he presaged on ‘Thank God For Mental Illness’ and into more experimental corners. While Newcombe has volubly denied the album’s title has anything to do with My Bloody Valentine - indeed, he seems unwilling to admit anyone got to a sound before he did - at least a couple of tracks would seem to be coming from Valentine territory, and the latter half has at least one foot in shoegazing. Kickoff ‘Bring Me the Head of Paul McCartney on Heather Mill’s Wooden Peg (Dropping Bomb on the White House)’, like many of the subsequent numbers, bears an oddball name which doesn’t do much to prepare the listener for what is to come. It sounds like old school BJM circa Their Satanic Majesties Second Request’, if a bit more fried and fuzzy. Indeed, most of the album ladles on the distortion, and lyrics can be hard to discern in the murk. Newcombe, however, seems to be saving his snarly side for the packaging: Despite the grumpy title, ‘Who Fucking Pissed in My Well’ is a groovy psych number with hand drums and ‘We Are the Niggers of the World’ is a melancholy solo piano piece. It’s a real departure from the band’s modus operandi - allegedly, Newcombe wrote it when he was nine years old. The band takes a break from left-field offerings with a flashback to historic Jonestown. On ‘Who Cares Why’ Newcombe’s vocals float underneath a murky droning acoustic loop which sounds like an outtake from ‘Methodrone’, while ‘Yeah-Yeah’ clocks in a few minutes of the Massacre’s jangly stage. (These two tunes would also seem to presage a good part of ur-freak folkie Devendra Banhart’s output). From there Newcombe and co. proceed to make good on the album title with two full-blown tributes to My Bloody Valentine: ‘Golden-Frost’ and ‘Just Like Kicking Jesus’. ‘Ljosmyndir’ bears the mark of Newcombe’s days in Reykjavik, with Nordic vocals echoing over undulating keyboards. The thumping rhythms and echoing scree of the ‘Automatic Faggot for the People’ sounds partially inspired by ‘Vanishing Point’ era Primal Scream; ‘Darkwave River/Big Drill Car’ puts fuzzed out surf guitar over a babble of radio voices and looped drums. The sinister buzz of ‘Monkey Powder’ – a cowrite with former Ride man Mark Gardener – is the last real ‘song’ on the album. Final number ‘Black Hole Symphony’ which fills out the album with an ear-catching wobbling, oscillating noise may be the only appropriately titled tune on the album. Despite is influences (or non-influences, pace Newcombe), ‘My Bloody Underground’ unquestionably fits in The Brian Jonestown Massacre canon. Devotees will appreciate it, curveballs and all, while newcomers should be appropriately perturbed.

Track Listing:-

1 Bring Me The Head Of Paul McCartney On Heather Mill's Wooden Peg (Dropping Bombs On The White House)
2 Infinite Wisdom Tooth / My Last Night In Bed With You
3 Who Fucking Pissed In My Well?
4 We Are The Niggers Of The World
5 Who Cares Why
6 Yeah - Yeah
7 Golden - Frost
8 Just Like Kicking Jesus
9 Ljosmyndir
10 Automatic Faggot For The People
11 Darkwave Driver / Big Drill Car
12 Monkey Powder
13 Black Hole Symphony
14 The Origin Of Love