Album Review: Avon - Black on Sunshine
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
There are certain musicians within the desert/stoner rock scene that you know will always deliver a top-quality performance, regardless of which band they are in, think Brant Bjork or Mario Lalli for example. Joining that triumvirate would be the irreplaceable drumming legend that is Alfredo Hernandez, who I was fortunate to catch playing a one-off specially curated set with Sons of Alpha Centauri at last year’s Desertfest, and it was amazing.
Due to clashes that day, I missed AVON, who are now back with their third album, “Black on Sunshine”, with Hernandez, bassist June Kato and James Childs on guitars/vocals. The music perfectly fills that void of psychedelic stoner rock, and the immense drumming quality is evident from the beginning of the album titled opening track. The guitar riffs are sublime and the 70’s inspired song oozes quality, before they get all warm and fuzzy on “Awkwardness” with a distinctive guitar style and catchy as hell bass lines from Kato.
These are toe tapping tunes that need to heard by the masses, and on “Spacebar” they go a bit trippy and psychedelic on a song which the band says is “conveying the uncomfortable sense of being watched”. The bass comes through loud and clear, leading to a rhythm which is smooth as silk, before you are mesmerised again by Kato on the lead into “Never in a Million Years”. What a song this is, all about Childs’ tale of rejection, but again, you won’t be able to stop nodding your head along to the incredible beat.
Their unmistakable style is evident throughout the album, showcasing three musicians totally at ease in each other’s company and playing music that is levels above many others in this genre. “Bandits” has a wonderful bluesy/desert rock guitar sound all over the rhythm, and a solo that punches through effectively. The drums aren’t overpowering, but you can’t help but notice just how damn good they are over the chanting chorus from Childs, before they get all dreamy and melodic on the pure desert rock song “Ninteen Bruises”.
One thing that I’m enjoying is that the songs don’t linger on too long, they are short enough to be impressive and long enough not be boring, and then you are hit with a piano introducing the wonderful expressive “Super Furry Antidote”. This is simply fabulous and was first recorded in 2003 with Portishead’s Geoff Barrow on drums, but it’s a happy, cheery number that bounces along and will almost certainly put a smile on the saddest of faces.
Another old song resurrected by Childs is “Doorway” a love song he wrote in the wake of the millennium, and at first it sort of sounds out of place, as it has an 80’s vibe to it, but they’ve given it that AVON overhaul and brought it back to life. “Strangest Love” was co-written with Nick Davinge, back in the 90’s, and he makes his second appearance on the record. You can feel the grunge era soundscape pouring out of the rhythm here instantly, as the song feels bigger and sounds louder, aided by a simple drum beat letting the guitars do their thing. The album concludes with “Oblivion”, a short punky blast of noise, which leaves you wanting more and pressing the repeat button to start the album over again.
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