The gifts of John Andrew Frederick show no sign of diminishing anytime soon. And Here & There is now out to confirm that. The ATOM Records release is another in a string of fine recordings from Frederick, but it's one which reveals new shades creeping into his work. And, in some ways, it offers significant, yet subtle delights.
With opener "Now & Then" we're already in fresh territory. The production by Scott Campbell and the string arrangements by Ben Eshbach give this an aura that is positively refined. There's something of the late Joe Cassidy's Butterfly Child here too. Elsewhere, "Days When The Rain" mixes fuzzy hooks up with a bank of cellos, strategically placed, and all atop a strong melody. This one, and the R.E.M.-recalling "The Real You" are remarkably strong numbers, and one marvels again at just how few people in this country are capable of making music this consistently good so often.
Here & There works best when it goes in slightly new directions for this outfit. The elegant "Dream Slow" is nearly cinematic. Frederick sinks into this the way Luke Haines used to be able to, before he became a prisoner (at times) of his own style. The Black Watch are still able to wring poignant power out of stuff like this, and as the strings swirl, it's a beautiful thing for new and old fans. The backing vocals from Lindsay Murray are a nice addition to "Marrysummertime", another gem here, but it's album closer "A Day in Pompeii" that really knocked me on my ass. Frequently called dream pop, the music of The Black Watch gets lumped in with a lot of stuff that's really quite different from Frederick's style, but this one really jumped out at me, especially as it's tonally a bit different than lots of what else is on Here & There. It's nearly shoegaze, but too literary to let itself give over over totally to the style. I really liked all the stylistic shifts here on this 20th album from The Black Watch, and am hoping that more of them in the future involve tunes that sound like this album's final cut.
Here & There is out now via ATOM Records.
More details on The Black Watch via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: The Black Watch]