Revealing an affinity for the kind of rich alt-rock that The Jigsaw Seen sometimes tackle, lead singer Dennis Davison has a new solo album out now. The Book of Strongman is more introspective than some of the JS stuff, but it's power pop of a sort. Of course, the nature of this one allows Davison to indulge himself somewhat successfully, with the inward-looking tunes being fairly successful even for those who are not already huge fans of The Jigsaw Seen.
If "Strongman and Sonny James" is spry and catchy, "Aberdeen Vista" is more languid. This one is, along with the Byrds-ian "Can You Imagine?", proof that Davison is going to be fine on his own. These cuts are tuneful bits of neo-psychedelia, as equally in debt to Paisley Underground pioneers as well as power pop ones. Elsewhere, "Shadow on a Tall Tree", the clear highlight here, chimes in a catchy fashion, and recalls for me bands like Wire Train and Tommy Keene a tiny bit. Dennis Davison approaches this record with a lot of energy, and any fan of The Jigsaw Seen is likely to find this pretty familiar, even as the compositions move in interesting, slightly complicated directions at times.
The Book of Strongman is out now.
More details on Dennis Davison via the official website. More details on The Jigsaw Seen via the band's official website.
[Photo: Michelle Krupkin]