Don’t be a stranger to the black watch

By Henry Lipput

Since the black watch released their fantastic compilation 31Years of Obscurity in 2019, this overview of their career made them many new fans (including me). (As I mentioned in my review for CoolDad Music, I was surprised it had taken me some long to join the club.) In the intervening years, there’s been an explosion of activity as John Andrew Fredrick and company have given us 3 singles, 4 EPs, 1 reissue, and four albums (not counting the Magic Johnson album which came out around the same time as 31 Years and had a few songs on that collection.)

Last year’s the neverland of spoken things EP was a taster for the new album future strangers (ATOM records) and included the title cut and two non-album tracks. It also allowed the band to release some music as they waited for the album to be available on vinyl (there’s a backlog at pressing plants if you haven’t heard).

The fuzz, crunch and – especially – melodies that have become a trademark of music by the black watch are in full form on future strangers.  Joined by continuing members the producers and musical multi-taskers Rob Campanella and Andy Creighton, Fredrick adds to the fold the vocal stylings of Lindsay Murray of Gretchen’s Wheel.

Fredrick doesn’t scream in his vocals no matter how frustrated he is with the state of things. Instead, he allows his music to do the work. For example, he uses a glorious bank of guitars on the marvelous and moody title song and on “they may be grey” he and his follow riff masters bring on the pop. And although Lindsay Murray is listed as providing backing vocals for the album, her contribution on “the neverland of spoken things” is less of a support role than a partner to Fredrick’s lead vocal.

Over the last years there’s been a give and take with songs on albums and EPs by the black watch. “julie 3,” the last song on future strangers, is obviously not the first “julie:” “julie” and “julie II” were on the brilliant failures album. All three had different arrangements and different lyrics and on “julie II” the vocals were not by Fredrick but the Nico-sounding Julie Schulte (is she the julie in question?). As for “off you go redux!” it’s also on the white EP along with (the original?) “off you go!” They chronicle the future adventures of Mrs. Robinson, Elaine, and Benjamin in an arrangement that owes more than a bit to The Lemonheads’ cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic.