unearth-album-coverOn the same day that I received this album to review, I read in one of those quirky surveys you find in the Metro free newspaper that Hastings is the place in the UK where the residents are the most “musically sophisticated”. Redditch came last, in case you were wondering. I have no idea how on earth anyone works these things out, and would have thought that somewhere like Liverpool might have made the top 10, but it didn’t. I will say this though. John Bassett comes from Hastings, and as the lead of the band King Bathmat is responsible for two of the most imaginative psychedelically progressive rock albums of 2013 “Truth Button” and “Overcoming the Monster”. Even before I was aware of Hastings’s status in the sophistication stakes, I knew that this solo work from Mr Bassett was coming and have been greatly looking forward to it.

What we have here is essentially an acoustic album, but it’s one with extraordinary deftness of touch, subtlety of tone and fusion of elements. The soft dreaminess which characterises the opener “Stay Away from the Dark” and the bulk of this album is like the experience of floating down a river. Mr Bassett gets into our psyche with his beautiful and incisive songs. “With your certificate, you’re qualified to shovel dirt”, goes the rhyme. The lyrics make me smile but convey truths. The gentle sway is like the tick-tocking of a clock, but like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Astra and Steven Wilson and his various projects, there’s an ambiance which transcends the mellow mood. “Survival Rate” continues the melancholy and even conveys a mild threat: “you’d better not let your mother down”. Instrumentally, the touches are exquisite, never overstated, but always sophisticated and always in keeping with the languid scenes of real life to which our ears are exposed.

“Nothing Sacred” has an exotic touch. There’s never hysteria, just evocative moodiness. It helps that Mr Bassett sounds so much like Andy Fairweather-Low. The guitar keeps a patient pace. The xylophone, or something which sounds like it, adds another level of delight. “You dig up the past, you make things worse, then you’ll see what you unearth” – lines like this send shivers down my spine. It’s naturally accompanied by a sultry-sounding acoustic line. “Give generously to the cause to help the funding of further wars”. There’s a heartfelt plea in Mr Bassett’s voice but it’s subtle and pure. There’s an echo in “worse”, which could only rhyme with “curse”. Even Mr Wilson couldn’t generate this level of atmosphere and innuendo. Killer line follows killer line. “Pantomime” begins. It’s like poetry. The words and instrumental reinforcements are deep. The synthesiser makes wondrous sounds. “I’ve a rendez-vous with the supplement to loneliness”. It’s bleak and dreamy but the strength sucks us in. The harmonies are out of this world. A slightly distorted acoustic guitar section accompanies the words: “it’s all in your head now”. Brilliant. The instrumental “Kylerhea” is more upbeat with its pattering drum pattern and lush Hispanic-sounding guitar tune. It’s a little bit test-cardy perhaps but it is nevertheless very nice and warming.

Mr Bassett’s dripping cynicism comes to the fore on “TV is God”. I smiled because his social observations are true. “Agonies are elsewhere but we’re safe here”. “Let the freaks plant the seeds that grow in your brain”. The guitar is plucked irregularly and brings about a disturbing element. The synthesiser chips in. Mr Bassett paints pictures of distorted worlds with distorted values. “After all, it’s safe here”. Birds sing loudly. Melancholy returns, if it ever went away. The reflective “Keep Dear” is the most difficult track on this most hypnotic of albums. It gives no clue as to what was going to follow. The seven and a half minute long “Something that’s More Worthwhile” is a masterpiece. It is desperately sad and representative of the trials of humanity. “Hide your shell in another world”. “Deflect into your soul before you get too old”. This song blew me away. There’s a fluty sounding edge. “Chase your tail and hope to make amends”. The song is steady like the slow progress of life. There’s such depth. The message seems to be “save yourself”. The instrumentals add richness and for the latter part take us through exotic soundscapes as we float into a magical world and kaleidoscopically move from passage to passage. “Something That’s More Worthwhile” may be dreamy but it’s gut-burstingly epic. It touches every part of me, and even ends with a hint of Indian mysticality. The final track could never live up to this, but “Comedian” nevertheless paints a picture in its vivid and melancholy way. The curtain is drawn evocatively with the sound of birds and a school bell ringing.

Creativity is evidently alive and well in Hastings. The invention and intelligent musical co-ordination of “Unearth” are immaculate. Swathes of sadness, gentleness and cynicism blend perfectly. I confess that I normally prefer something heavier, but I stand back in awe at the way in which on this acoustic experience John Bassett creates musical harmony with his collection of moods, ideas and images. “Unearth” is so good that it is bordering on genius.

(9/10 Andrew Doherty) 

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