I first saw Bass Drum of Death at the first Austin Psych Fest my wife and I attended in 2013. I had no idea at the time that the lead singer and guitarist, John Barrett, did all of the songwriting and instrumentation (on the first BDOD album) all by himself. He kept doing it all by himself for the next album, which makes his new one, Say I Won’t, even more interesting because it’s the first BDOD album written and recorded by Garrett and his touring band (Jim Barrett on bass and Ian Kirkpatrick on drums) – with The Black Keys‘ Patrick Carney doing production no less.
The result is a great album of 1970s-inspired garage / van rock suitable for road trips, surfing, backyard parties, or keeping you motivated to finish a housing project. Kirkpatrick’s snappy drums on “Find It” get the album off to a great start. “Head Change” cranks up the fuzz and swagger. Jim Barrett’s bass line will make you feel like a dangerous motherfucker. “No Soul” has John Barrett singing about how he keeps going back to a woman he knows is bad for him.
“Say Your Prayers” is a team-up with Mike Kerr of Royal Blood, and you can hear the thick bass groove he brings to the mix. “I don’t want to have the keys to your city. I just wanna take a ride,” Barrett sings on “Keys to the City,” in which he tries to convince his girl he just wants a simple night with her instead of constant partying. The swagger of “Wait” is outstanding, hitting heavy at all the right moments.
“I see the world for the takin’. Hold tight. We’ll sort it out,” Barrett sings on “Swerving,” which seems made for stomping the gas pedal and veering around traffic. “White Vine” is, believe it or not, a good power rock ballad. “No Doubt” has some southern rock twang to it. You can practically feel Memphis humidity through it. “Everybody’s Gonna Be There” reminds me of some tracks by JEFF The Brotherhood with its fun grooves, call to party, and the promise of a good time with everyone.
The title track has one of Barrett’s best guitar solos (and all-around chops) on the album, and “Too Cold to Hold” could almost be a ZZ Top song with its shuffling groove and an arena rock song with Barrett’s high-register lyrics mixing with shouts to the back of the venue.
It’s good to hear a good straight-up rock record. We don’t seem to get a lot of albums like this nowadays.
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Jo Murray.]
