Album Review by Mark Bayross
Walthamstow (London)-born John Bassett (KingBathmat) hasn’t named his new album SON OF A NUN because he’s into puns – his mother really was a nun! Not that this really has much bearing on the music contained within, ten tracks of fuzzy stoner rock, with occasional forays into late-Beatles psychedelic territory.
So, songs like POST TRAUMATIC and VIRTUAL CARTOON rock out in a scuzzy Queens Of The Stone Age kinda way, while UNCLE REMUS comes over all late-90s Britpop, with added weird electronic bleeps. Even stranger is the occasional appearance of celtic jigs, most notably on KING OF THE FAIRIES and JOHNNY’S WEDDING, the titles of which are a bit of a giveaway.
There is undoubtedly some talent here, and I’m always impressed by artists who produce entire albums by themselves, but there’s not a lot that’s original. Still, a few ill-advised Celtic jigs and Hammond organs aside, there’s nothing here that jars, and many of these songs will grow on you.
You can buy SON OF A NUN (and a whole plethora of bizarre merchandise, including mugs, clocks and wall tiles!)
