John Andrew Frederick of The Black Watch is a literate guy. He knows literature. He writes it too. I think more than anyone, he'd appreciate the truth of the phrase, "Don't judge a book by its cover!" John Andrew Frederick of The Black Watch is a musician. He knows music. He makes it too. I think more than anyone, he'd appreciate the truth of the idea of buying a band's record because it looks cool. And the cover of Future Strangers, the latest Black Watch album, is very cool indeed. It looks like the type of thing I'd have seen in the bins at Tower some decades ago and bought without ever having heard the band (though maybe I'd seen an ad with the image in the NME). This is music for those of us from that era, and it's part of the lineage for those of us younger now, and newer to the genre. It's also excellent, but you probably knew that, right?
Released on multiple formats ahead of its vinyl debut, Future Strangers continues the string of recent superb offerings from John and his compatriots. "We Know Nothing" and "Nothing Left to Say" whirr and buzz with the promise of the pop format. These are elegantly simple compositions, decked out in just the right amount of effects so as to render the presentation as enticing as the melodic hook. Elsewhere, "Wish I Had Something" finds Frederick going all Dali's Car, pushing The Black Watch into somewhat new territory, while "The Poison Flower" blooms in spectacular fashion, those backing vocals from Annie Hayden helping.
Future Strangers is full of tunes which don't necessarily break the mold of the sound of The Black Watch, but which nudge it into fresh spaces. There seems to be less of a shoegaze influence rearing its head this time around, with the layered, languid numbers serving as the highlights here for a change. Frederick has a facility with this stuff, rendering the title cut into a kind of tribute to The Church. Hell, I'd venture to say it's better than lots of their stuff. There's a concise precision to compositions like this that continues to impress. John Andrew Frederick is a prolific guy, but he's also got more quality control than, say, Robert Pollard. There's no dross getting pumped out just to have new product, and little filler. The tracks on Future Strangers are wonderful when taken together, combining to make this a tight and consistent record. You could also plop any one of these down in a mix of your favorite post-punk and charm the pants off a newbie to this group.
Future Strangers by The Black Watch is out now. More details via the link below.