John Wilkes Booth
Useless Lucy
8 Track Album
Released 23rd July 2014
Dirt Rock - From John Wilkes Booth
Written for Crimson Moon Zine
John Wilkes Booth – Long Island,
New York
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Wilkes-Booth
Genre: Dirt Rock
Biography:
“John Wilkes Booth founded in 2005, is back with a new track entitled "Hold Still
It Said" their first new recorded track since 2009's "Trilateral
Commission", a three-way split featuring the bands Twelve Eyes and
Maegashira. Their debut full-length release, Sic Semper Tyrannis (which
included a previously recorded self-titled E.P), sold around the world and
received favorable reviews with the expectation for more.
In 2010 JWB went
underground renting a warehouse in the hometown area and hosting "Sailor
Boy Jams", private jam sessions with many of their musical friends. This
brought Booth into a new discovery
of musical possibilities jamming with as many as 5 drummers at a time. 2014
brings us to "Useless Lucy"
and a much darker Booth!”
If you are thinking that this is a ‘one man band’ think again,
apparently the band took their name from a man by the same name: John Wilkes
Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) who was an American stage actor and
assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C.,
on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th-century Booth
theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860's, was a well-known actor. He was also a Confederate sympathiser,
vehement in his denunciation of Lincoln, and strongly opposed the abolition of slavery
in the United States. I am just not sure of the ‘Useless Lucy’ reference, but
the album cover does hold a lot of poignancy!
From the North
The husky tones impound the senses and Kerry’s vocal scourge takes
over in an ambient attack on the senses cloaking them in a ferocious swathe of
emotion. This is heavy but more in the sense of moody rock as it staggers under
the weight of its own passions! Superb track that hosts a sincere power and
creative addictable vibrancy. Very stoner – love it!!
Masturbation Song
Bristles with a crisp drum beat and warm velvety bass hooks that are
deep and ravenous. Once the guitars come into focus the tempo changes
dramatically. It bounces on a bed of harshness and its hungry appetite wraps
abrasively around the ears. It lures with a captive ambiance, and vocally
rampages.
Six One
Is again very different with its shrill beginning and then drifts
into a doom laden structure of dreamy memorisation. It broods in a sonic state
and is received well by its deep cavernous riffs that will rigorously captivate
its audience while unveiling a certain psychedelic quality. Brilliant!
13 Years
Is again another brooding composition that slithers and prowls
through its structures, taking a stroll through strong paces of vibrant riffs
and deep bass hooks, although slower, it still holds plenty of swagger and just
as dramatic as the previous three tracks.
Soaking the Perimeter
Giving Christian and Harry a chance to shine with their drumming and
bass techniques respectively. The large deep grooves of melody are riveting
while the riffs offer enticing gratification. A very seductive and ambient track
that holds intrigue and has its grip tightly on the aural.
------------------------------------------------
“The touches of psychedelia and
doom are really a welcome surprise and mean that the band are not just a ‘One
trip Pony’ and can move from their dirt rock comfort zone into pastures new!”
------------------------------------------------
Ladder and Vacuum
The staggered riffs entwine with a harsh but clean vocal – and probably
the weakest track on the album as it does not seem to reach any conclusion and
sort of grates on the ears due to the vocal sounding slightly off key.
Intro 2 (Lick my
Spacesuit)
This holds a space induced theme of strange noises that coagulate
sounding rather sinister in delivery and the shortest track on the album.
Family Crest
The deep cavernous grooves plague the senses in this monster of a
track that stalks in the most predatory manner possible. The stoner essences
are really prominent here and are deliciously malevolent and consuming!
Absolutely superb track!
Summary
On the whole this album has some great tracks contained within it,
with only one that is quite weak and does not truly satisfy and one track that
is more of a filler, but there is plenty to feast upon and revel in, within the
other 6 tracks.
The First track on the album is really uplifting and has already
been played several times over and is really the best track to open the album
with. There is a lot of diversity
contained within each composition which is always a plus sign.
Holding very serious and captivating moments it engages with
passionate intent – but sad that towards the end of the album it sort of loses
momentum.
The touches of psychedelia and doom are really a welcome surprise
and mean that the band are not just a ‘One trip Pony’ and can move from their
dirt rock comfort zone into pastures new.
This is however, a very convincing album and one that deserves some
form of recognition and well worthy of attention.
8/10
Track List:
From the North
Masturbation Song
Six One
13 Years
Soaking the Perimeter
Ladder and Vacuum
Intro 2 (Lick my Spacesuit)
Family Crest
Members:
Kerry Merkle - Vocals
Christian Horstmann - Drums
Jason Beickert - Guitar
Harry - Bass
No comments:
Post a Comment