I'm not a huge follower of The Brian Jonestown Massacre but I sort of respect the act from a distance. However, having dived into the new one from the band, Fire Doesn't Grow on Trees, I can say that this album is pretty damn engaging. Out today, this release seems as if Anton Newcombe is distilling down the cool bits from stuff he likely loves. If lots of this sounds like a mash-up of "Stranger Than Kindess" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and "Soon" by My Bloody Valentine, that's fine too.
"The Real" opens things with a roar, while the woefully-titled "Ineffable Mindfuck" works up an impressive head of steam. Newcombe keeps things moving, a listener must grant him that, even as pieces of other genres swirl in and out of the mix. "What's in a Name?", a highlight here, reveals that Anton's been listening to first-wave Britpop bands, even if he's adept at giving things a rougher, cooler edge. Elsewhere, "Silenced" adds in garage rock vibes, while "Don't Let Me Get In Your Way" has a shaggy grace about it that's compelling.
Fire Doesn't Grown on Trees holds one's attention even if none of this feels quite as rough and invigorating as the earliest Brian Jonestown Massacre releases. That said, Anton Newcombe has rarely sounded this at ease in recent years, with all the material here at least punching above its station, and drawing upon the exactly right sort of cool points of inspiration. This is solid stuff, with Newcombe really earning points for attempting to bring in other subtle stylistic flourishes to his own usual brand of alt-rock, or whatever you want to call this.
Fire Doesn't Grow on Trees is out today.
[Photo: Thomas Girard]