Over the course of four independently released albums, the indie/psychedelic rock trio affectionately known by the odd moniker of KingBathmat has evolved more than some artists do in a lifetime. On the band's latest, Blue Sea, Black Heart, multi-instrumentalist/frontman and former one-man-band John Bassett has taken all of his influences from the past — which include the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Who, Oasis and Radiohead — and crafted an atmospheric but powerful rock record that also happens to be the band's most mature and confident. "Blue Alice" opens this moody album with a sense of mourning yet winds up rocking like nothing else in the King's canon. By the next song, "Paper Bag," KingBathmat is off in dreamland, singing against a melancholic backdrop until that steamy guitar solo kicks in and takes the song to a whole new place. Then there's "Murder in a Small Town," teeming with cynicism ("Let's decorate our children with dreams they can't achieve"), and "Brainwash" gets away with a Foo Fighters groove gliding on a magic carpet ride. "Somebody Else's Child" is a sad, haunting ballad with unlikely backing vocals, while "The World Outside" could be considered a modern-day garage rocker. "Hello Algebra" closes this short 32-minute album with quirky electronic and vocal effects that complicate the band's sound and leaves its future musical direction up for grabs.
Bassett doesn't possess the most powerful voice in rockdom — although his slightly nasal and weary delivery sure makes it distinct — nor will you be humming many of these songs after they fade. But that's OK. With lyrics open to interpretation and a variety of musical moods and styles at play, KingBathmat delivers another smart set of songs that furthers this British outfit's reputation for giving listeners something they're not likely to hear anywhere else.
Track Listing:
1) Blue Alice
2) Paper Bag
3) Play By the Rules
4) Murder in a Small Town
5) Brainwash
6) Somebody Else's Child
7) The World Outside
8) Hello Algebra
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