4 out of 5

Label: Master of Bates

Producer: Big Black Delta?

Well, perhaps you’re like me and you came here because of Mellowdrone, Jonathan Bates other musical endeavor.  But I can’t be sure because science has been suggesting you’re not like me in all the important occupying-same-spot-in-time-and-space ways, so now I’m starting to admittedly get a bit paranoid as to why you’re here and to whom you’re reporting those notes you scribble in your little pad when you think I’m not looking.  That’s right.

If you ARE listening to Big Black Delta because you’re like me (harumph), then you won’t be surprised by what you hear – hum-sung lyrics that break into heartbreak with eff yous, new wave influenced big beats that get scuzzed up with good guitar riffs, a bedroom production sound… and so unsurprised are you that maybe you brush it off as a Mellowdrone release.  But I’d ask you to listen again.  Bates has tweaked things effectively for BBD and, honestly, all of those tweaks are in just the right direction to make this a more solid recording than the Mellowdrone offerings.  Bates’ lyrics often slip into silly in search of sarcasm, but Delta puts the music in the forefront, and takes some of the cleanliness that Mellowdrone learned and rakes it across with static and distortion – that heavy low-end crackles as it pours from your speakers but it sounds so gorgeous and controlled.  We also have a much heavier new wave vibe here, almost from start to finish, and though it’s not my favorite era, that recording style de-synths into the modern world, and combined with Bates pleasant vocals and some smart details dotted in the background, the songs are actually richer and more thoughtfully constructed than some of the ‘drone catalogue, which sometimes relies on an explosive guitar riff to save a mundane song.

Unfortunately there’s only about a solid EP of material here before BBD starts to wander a bit – the gorgeous acoustic ‘Dreary Moon’ is the last of the well-sequenced tracks.  Followup ‘Zebrah’ is good, but it feels like it wants to be a first song on the album, and picks and chooses elements from previous tracks.  The wash of sound PB3 thus comes at a bad time, even though its rather beautiful and acts as a perfect lead-in to closer ‘Roost’, which, again, is somewhat uneven, taken a minute to find its awesomeness… which is too long for a 3-minute song.

I love albums like this, that don’t sound like much initially but then flesh out to much more.  Absolutely worth checking out, Mellowdrone follower or no.