Brian Jonestown Massacre
Who Killed Sgt. Pepper?
(A)
For anyone familiar with the strange and star-crossed history of Brian Jonestown Massacre, it will be little wonder that their new album was the first album in five years to be accidentally assigned to two different Red Alert writers. For another take on the album, check out Marcel Feldmar's review here.
Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? is a fitting album title for a band who sounds as if they are attempting to create their own slice of sonic experimentation that runs somewhat counter to their previous output. This is not much of a surprise as most of Brian Jonestown Massacre’s albums mix and match styles from throughout the world of music. Those not familiar with the band, whose exploits and Jekyll and Hyde type friendship with The Dandy Warhols was documented in the film Dig!, will not find their most accessible work here, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
With his ever-revolving cast of musicians, Anton Newcombe, the only consistent member of the band since their creation over fifteen years ago, delivers a sound mash of samples, distortion, and catchy, if unintelligible, vocals. The album was recorded throughout Iceland and Berlin and like a wet sponge, BJM seems to have soaked in some of the regional sounds and influences into their work.
Sure to be a crowd pleaser, but not easily played in a crowd, “Lets Go Fucking Mental” keeps a consistently catchy chorus. A few other tunes fall so much on the experimental side, that the album at times becomes more atmospheric then anything else. “This is Your Last Warning” briefly uses the same electronic droid voice as Radiohead’s “Fitter Happier” to introduce the title of the track before launching into a six minute middle eastern influenced tune. Not the first time that BJM has referenced The Beatles in their work (i.e. “Bring Me the Head of Paul McCartney On Heather Mill’s Wooden Peg"), the addition of a John Lennon voice sample in closing track “Felt Tipped Pictures of UFOs” stands out as the only direct connection between the album’s title and the collection of tracks that create it.
This album does not stray so far off the track as to alienate fans of Brian Jonestown Massacre’s previous work. They have never been a band that wanted mass appeal and fortunately for them, it is unlikely they will find it with Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? However, they create a large enough wall of sound that those who decide to scale it will most likely find plenty to enjoy on the way up. |
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