Example 22 is psych rock veterans
the Bevis Frond's third album since returning in 2011 after a seven-year hiatus. As with
the Frond's previous two albums, frontman/songwriter Nick Saloman (who founded the group in 1986) is joined by longtime collaborators Paul Simmons (guitar), Adrian Shaw (bass), and Dave Pearce (drums). As to be expected, the album is another sprawling epic stuffed to the gills with eight-minute acid-fried guitar jams and concise, hook-filled three-minute jangly pop songs. As overwhelming as the group's albums seem, especially when they contain well over a dozen tracks and/or songs with extended lengths (their previous effort, 2013's double-CD/triple-LP
White Numbers, concluded with a 42-minute jam session), they remain pleasant to listen to, thanks to Saloman's songwriting smarts and guitar prowess.
Example 22 features a few extended guitar workouts, but it mostly focuses on the group's most accessible side, generally consisting of succinct three- or four-minute pop songs. The organ-driven "Hot Sauce or Nothing" finds Saloman at his most
Elvis Costello-sounding, while the brief "Winter Breaks" is urgent post-punk reminiscent of
the Wipers, one of Saloman's acknowledged influences. Tracks like "I Blame the Rain" contain muscular,
Hendrix-inspired guitar heroics, while "Vital Signs" and "Longships" point toward the group's mellower folk-rock side. Latter-day
Bevis Frond sounds far more polished and hi-fi than the project's early works, which were primarily recorded by Saloman at home on his four-track, and often indulged in his most meandering tendencies.
Example 22 dials back some of the weirdness for a lengthy but approachable set of solid, eclectic psych rock that sounds as fresh yet familiar as any of
the Bevis Frond's other recordings. [
Example 22 was also released on LP.] ~ Paul Simpson