UNDER THE BUSHES, UNDER THE STARS

Oh you of little faith.

I'm still on cloud nine having somehow scored this earlier
than the Monday release date. In Australia it's out locally
through Fellaheen..and the first 500 have the Tigerbomb
EP tagged on the end of the CD. I got number 1..a good
omen I reckoned.

Under the bushes..proves finally that GBV are the alltime
Kings of Rawk..call it Lo-Fi, Mid-Fi or Fee Fi Fo Fum..this
is in my mind is their crowning glory.

Many fans of the band were getting concerned they were
turning purple. They haven't..if the ship was being steered
in that direction..Bob et al have taken the rudder and
smashed the ship into waters both familiar and more
controlled. This is a vastly different release to Alien Lanes.

Listen to the Easley/Deal recordings. GBV through the
single and other tracks (included as a bonus ep) were
moving into crossover territory. Whether this was Matador
influenced or not I don't know. Don't get me wrong..I think
Ironmen one of their great pop songs..and listen to
Redmen..it's a shivers up your spine, stay at home and
drink a "damn fine bottle of red" song..but the production
values were vastly different.

The boys recognized the changing in direction and it's
implications and rather than take a Pavementesque
detour, they have driven the 24 trackers to their advantage
and guided their songs through super compressors and AM encoders.


Bob and his prolific pen have yielded a batch of tunes in
my mind to rival Bee Thousand although to me it sounds
like it belongs circa Propeller. The difference is the songs
sound like they were recorded in the same timeline. Other
releases have had "a bit from this tape, a bit from that
tape" quality. I also can hear more Who reference points
and juicy Byrds jangly guitars.

Man Called Aerodynamics rivals Hardcore UFO's for an
opening song. The super rockin' guitars mesh together and
produce a compelling wall of sound without compromising
melody or those zippy chord changes. Bob still makes it
hard for those deciphers of his lyrical wizardry..he may
being teasing when he sings..
 "Look it up in the Book of Fear
  Look it up in the garden rack
  In the magazine rack..or the map"

In Rhine Jive Click.."Crowded gymnasiums no shortage of
knockouts"..sums up the whole release..killer hooks
appear outta every song. This is one of a number of
"builder" songs on the CD. Tin-can drum and throbbing
bass give way to super-distorto guitars. Likewise for Cut-
Out Witch..ringing electro start jumps into another rocker.
The verse has Bob sounds like he's clipped the mike on
the end of his nose..complete with sniffs.
Great lyric.."Just another busy day for the cut-out witch
           silver threads for her hands..never knew a stitch
                        cold needles in her eyes and we realise
                    just another busy day for the cut-out witch"


Bob's lyrics seem to get better with each release.
In Burning Flag, Birthday Suit over shimmery guitar..
"They cut the skin,  they peel back the onion
 reveal the ghost blood, fat black gas
 ....into the mirrored halls of empty values.
 A dentist drill riff rips over the end of the song.

I agree with Bruce that Ironmen is one their strongest
songs to date..it's a poppier turn which leads into Tobin's
To Remake the Young Flyer. I reckon this to be one of his
best to date. Crisp flanged guitar leads the way with
Tobin's vocal very upfront.

No Sky continues the pop vein that is still brimming with
classic choruses..super simple lyric..as the song
progresses you can hear the needle punching the red
happily.

"Come on polluted eyeballs, stop scouting out the field
 jump up bright paper werewolves and everybody
 everywhere..anyone can scratch, anyone can win..
 so bring out another batch.
 They want to get out of here, but they can't find the exits..
 They're clinging to the cinemas, then they can't find
security  then they finally got recognized and they left in
obscurity  and misery....(Bright Paper Werewolves)

One of the shorter, distinctive acoustic tunes. Most of the
songs run around 2 minutes. By this stage you realise
there aren't any doodly bits yet..surprise there aren't any!


Just more ROCK. Lord Of Overstock reminds me of what
Cheap Trick could have sounded like, super groovy bass
line, I can imagine Greg Demos shakin his butt to this one.
Your Name is Wild..(oh can I continue)..by this stage
you've probably recognized that this is my favourite band
and this song is ONE REASON WHY!!
"Time to say to you my child
 Your name is wild
 and if you call me in, I'll change the (?) color
 Your name is wild
 and I'll be takin' you soon now to read the orange signs
 and I'll say to you..So What?!?..the useless fade in time.
 You chose me to read you no lies
 hooray for the day
 and I'll pay for the angels to keep you my child
 you are safer now..God knows it too."
This song will etch itself into your skull within one listen..at
times I can hear the magic of earlier releases coming
through loud and clear on this new stuff.

Ghosts of a different..keeps the pace flowin..jangly
guitars.. the ghosts of Moon/Townsend surely haunts
here.. something Flying Nun style lurks also.


Acorns and Orioles is the beautiful ballad with ethereal
echo in the background and cardboard box drumkit..the
cover credits a piano here..it must be a highly treated one
at that.
This segues into a looped (?) atmospheric cloud
punctuated with jagged angry "Damn Good Mr Jam" guitar.
"It's crumbling..never really knowing..we're hurtling where
it's always nice.." (Look at them)
The Perfect Life is an extension of the 2 former songs with
the background melding with the aforementioned piano.
This is the closest to experimental phase that GBV get this
time around.

Underwater Explosions kicks into life and "she can
breathe" this is the distant cousin of Shocker In
Gloomtown, and a vibrant happy little beast it is too. Atom
Eyes unleashes the pop-hearted boy Tobin " there's a
million heartstrings ready to fly..let's pull them now" and he
does.

The strings/keyboard arrangement may shock some in the
start of Don't Stop Now may shock some..I reckon it's a
great version. I'd probably lean towards the original, but it's
just cause I heard it first. I believe Under the Bushes could
have sounded like this until Bob stamped his "Cro
Magnon" recording style. Thanks to this the whole thing
sounds more balanced..and the newer stuff really proves
the shackles of fame have not held them.


Office of Hearts..ringing bass driven pop..killer lyrics
"Pull out the pain killers
 we have a killer wigging out
 sleepy boys don't look
 it's not at all sad
 a statistical occurrence
 it's octopus caveman
 drinking with the enemy
 he's got a girl on every aisle
 he sits down and circulates
 in the office of hearts
 his case closed..middleman
 in the office of hearts
 he'll steal you away
 come feel the softest parts
 in the office of hearts

Had the boys quit then I think I'd have been completely
satisfied..the extra tracks (on the Australian release on the
same CD) are mainly from the Kim Deal sessions.
Big Boring Wedding they seemed to play live for awhile
featuring the chorus..pass the word the chicks are back..
far more moody pop, but still brilliant.
It's like Soul Man would have to be Tobin's rockinest
song.. I love it...
Drag Days is circa Sandbox, one of Bob's most perfect
pop songs..has a real clean sound.
Sheetkickers with it's Who chimes, wobbling bass is pure
GBV "get ya ass shakin" rock.

Redmen and their Wives probably would have been my
choice for instant inclusion on Under the Bushes..this is a
"ballad" to start that builds around a can't get out of your
head hook that'll have you reaching for the old repeat
button.
Take to the Sky is back to Dayton and the boys reviving
the old substitute riff and lots off essential static that we know
and love..this is the old jeans you love to wear and a fitting
conclusion.

GBV are back with a polished effort that still sounds like its gone
througha severe compression squash that will keep devotees happy and maybe 
carve a new channel or scoffers/fools/knaves to fall down and admit the
Kings of White Noise Pop are burning brighter still.

Paul Gough
One Eyed and Proud
Sydney Australia