Bart & The Bedazzled “Blue Motel”
Bart Davenport is back with his new band The Bedazzled, featuring Jessica Espeleta (bass, backing vocals), Wayne Faler (guitar), and Andres Renteria (drums). They seem to float through their new pop album Blue Motel. It’s best described as a mix of ‘80s English pop and West Coast yacht rock. The title track features light jangling rhythms and synths, with Bart’s crooning vocals above it all.
A highlight for me was the subtle minimalist melody of “Halloween By The Sea,” with its lyrical lament on American decline. “What’s Your Secret (Cleo)” lifts the mood a little more with its playful bass line. However much of the album’s tone is slow tempo soulful musings and this makes the album drag a bit. On the rare occasion, like “Grownups” the jangling melody is upbeat – a little like The Ocean Blue. Fans of Prefab Sprout and Aztec Camera might enjoy this album. Check it Out.
Adrian Whitehead “Nerd From The Suburbs”
It’s been over ten years since Adrian’s been heard, and while his first album was fairly Beatlesque, his latest is little closer to Elton John meets Crowded House on the opener “Folie a Deux.” It’s a great song that drives home the chorus over its guitar strummed melody, and the follow-up is the bluesy progression “Blaming The Snake,” full of colorful lyrics and jazzy brass accents.
That hushed acoustic “Sigmund Freud” is very much in the mold of the late, great Elliot Smith circa XO. Adrian stays in this folk-pop style for the next few tracks. “The Gilded Cage” is a big highlight that mines some wonderful chord progressions and sweet lyrics about friendship, and even a George Harrison-like electric guitar break. The title track is another winner, with an autobiographic spin. The production is top notch and it will grow on you after a few listens. Highly Recommended.
