Bramwell Goes Pop

By Henry Lipput

“Problems” the debut single from the Cardiff-based band Bramwell is a 7-inch banger. It’s being released this weekend by Precious Recordings of London to accompany the band’s appearance at Wales Goes Pop.

Bramwell, made up of Tom Grogan on guitar and vocals, Avalon Vowles on bass and vocals, and Tom Drury on the drums, make a joyful noise on “Problems.”

But the B-side will no doubt get an equal amount of attention. Initially recorded by The Yardbirds in 1966 after Clapton left and before Page signed up, “I Can’t Make Your Way” was released on the album Yardbirds (or Over Under Sideways Down depending what country you bought it or Roger The Engineer what year you bought it.) The song’s original slow moving country lilt is a long way from the blues rock and psychedelic sounds for which the band was known.

Which makes Bramwell’s take on the song that much more of a treat. They take the Yardbirds version and truly make the song their own by turning it into what sounds like a mid-Sixties chart topping rave-up.

The Many Fazes Of John Andrew Fredrick

 By Henry Lipput

The always prolific John Andrew Fredrick (although he prefers being called a ‘"fuzzy janglepop genius”) and his excellent band of cohorts the black watch have been creating new music for more than 30 years. Their great collection of past triumphs, 31 Years Of Obscurity, was released in 2019 and is a must have for both old and new fans of the band.

Last year the black watch released the sprawling double album For All The World, a collection that seemed at times difficult to navigate (and I've been a diehard fan since 31 Years). This year we have been gifted with a single album, the terrific Varied Superstitions (digital: ATOM Records/Vinyl and CD: Blue Matter Records) and while more straightforward it’s also sprawling in its own way. The new album is a combination of “Rain”-like drones and the purest of pop (because like Fredrick I am also a massive Beatles fan you’ll find more than a few references to that group within this review).

“Faze” a song Fredrick would refer to as a “pop drone” and what I might call (and he might agree with) as having the influence of shoegaze.  There’s, along with electric guitars the sound of Indian music that’s been filtered through the music of a certain foursome. 

“Some People Will Believe” and “Living Backwards” has Fredrick and the band leaning into their love of pop. His affection for The Beatles makes the guitar centric “Living Backwards” a brother to the songs on Side 2 of Revolver ("And Your Bird Can Sing" perhaps?), 

It’s hard to make sense of “No I Shouldn’t” unless you have the album on vinyl (let's move some units!) and can play the song backwards like you can when you listen to “Revolution 9” on a vinyl copy of 'The White Album.’  On the other hand the album’s final track “Your Clothes, Sir” is gorgeous and melancholy made even more so with its beautiful guitar solo which brings to mind “And I Love Her.”