Longevity is a luxury for most bands. But for Los Angeles outfit The Black Watch, it’s become something of a habit. They’re on their 18th release and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Owing a large debt to the sounds of classic jangle pop and indie rock of the early ’90s, the band concocts a catchy and reverent ode to those artists who obviously had such an impact on The Black Watch’s formative growth. There’s an emotional heft and weight, not to mention a certain pop buoyancy, that give their music a completely unique and earnest musical veneer.
On their latest record, “Sugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy,” the band (led by songwriter John Andrew Frederick) works with aspects of shoegaze, pop and classic rock in a way that few other artists are able; they mix and match different sounds to form an insular homage to their influences. There is no pretense or affectation here; “Sugarplum Fairy” is an earnest statement of identity. It’s familiar at times, though not in a way that promotes a sense of rhythmic homogeneity. It’s simply constructed of well-worn sounds that are meticulously arranged to form something new and refreshingly straightforward. It’s pop music, rock music and a handful of other genres all rolled into a frayed package of sound that will be rebounding around in your head for weeks.
[Link]