Bark Psychosis vs. Pitchfork
2004 is going down as a landmark year for some. Brian Wilson releases his long-awaited version of Smile, The Pixies are back together and touring, and a number of bands such as Franz Ferdinand have blown up big time. But pound for pound, one of the biggest bits of news (for me, at least) was the announcement and release of a brand new Bark Psychosis album.
I loved Hex the moment I first heard the opening piano strains of “The Loom”, and the fact that it was essentially the band’s swansong was saddening and frustrating (once again, I’d discovered a great band well after their time had come). So I was quite excited, and a little apprehensive, when I heard that frontman Graham Sutton was releasing a new album after 10 years of absence. The previews were intriguing, but still… I was rather anxious about the prospects.
Thankfully, there was no need to be. Codename:Dustsucker is a remarkably solid followup, picking up right where Hex left off. But rather than continue spouting off, I’ll just point you to my review of the album.
So what’s the point of this spiel, you ask? The album has just been reviewed by the ever-influential Pitchfork, and has recieved a 7.7 (which, in Pitchfork-ese, isn’t too shabby). Of course, the album has been garnering rave reviews all over the place, but seeing as how Pitchfork is one of the biggest and most influential music sites out there, I thought it was worth pointing out.
Oh, and it’s a few months old, but Stylus has a great article/interview with Sutton, in which he describes his approach to music, the time it took to record the new album, and other things. Here’s an excerpt…
I agonise over years and years about a piece of music, fiddle and fiddle with it. It’s like getting a shape in my head, it’s not about a tune or about expressing a feeling; I’m not interested in ‘expressing myself’. I’m trying to build something that works and functions by itself and that I can wander around in, that’s solid and changes my mood and draws me through things, changes me, radically or violently or imperceptibly. I want to end up at a different point, a completely different point than you were at a few minutes ago, but not quite sure how you got there, or even noticed the change happening.
Be sure to read the rest.