French band Undobar don’t sound overtly French. In fact, if you were to place them on the cultural map, you’d probably opt for somewhere like the Mojave Desert, thanks to the band’s love of dry acoustic riffing and gnarled slide work, delivered with a nod to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and a wink to Nick Cave. Vocally, meanwhile, there are elements of Johnny Cash, Mark Lannegan and Tom Waits swirling around Frederic Foucher’s delivery and the result is a short, bluesy album that will appeal to alternative rock fans and blues fans alike.
The aptly titled ‘dark and rusty’ opens with the bluesy swagger of ‘Billion of days’ which comes on like the Screaming Trees covering Johnny Cash with BB King. It’s a dark, dusty path that Undobar tread and the music sounds like the soundtrack to an extended wander in the desert, the sand crunching under feet as you trudge on in search of water. Better still is ‘wait’, a memorable mix of wailing harmonica (Philippe Gehanne), arcing feedback and taut production. It’s evocative of huge empty spaces and of bones bleached white in the sun, but it I also gritty and determined, and it’s a hugely enjoyable sound that the band make. ‘Where art though?’ juxtaposes crystalline electric guitar against rumbling acoustic, over which Frederic and Benjamin (Danlos – guitar, percussion and harmonica) harmonise their weathered voices. ‘Seed of pain’ is a bluegrass romp filtered through the dark mind of Mark Lannegan that steadfastly refuses to hit the groove promised from the outset. It’s a perfect exercise in tension and build up and it shows that Undobar know exactly when to hold off and when to strike. In contrast, ‘Sunrise’ is a sweet acoustic number that suffers from expletive-filled lyrics which add nothing to the song, sounding somewhat incongruous in so mellow a setting, perhaps.
Moving away from the blues, ‘A ghost in the channel’ is a whimsical piece that is pure Queen’s of the stone age with its jarring chord sequences and psychedelic atmosphere. ‘Promises’ cruises on the back of more of that great slide work, the band deftly mixing stoner, indie and blues together into a cohesive and addictive whole. ‘Fuck’ is another quiet number, recalling elements of Mad Season with its desolate tone and ambient effects drifting in the darkness. It’s a highlight of the album, a mesmerising and haunting trip that does much to summarize the band’s strengths in one sprawling six minute package. It does a perfect job of closing the album and leaves you wanting more from this gleefully dark act. Indeed,, it says much about the album that, when it reaches it’s all-too-quick conclusion, you’re left instantly wanting to play it again.
Undbar offer up a compelling album with ‘dark and rusty’. Treading the line between traditional blues, stoner and the grunge-infused indie of the late 90s, Undobar manage to draw together all the disparate elements to create something that is hugely enjoyable as well as satisfyingly different to what else is out there right now. In short, track down Undobar and bag this release, you won’t regret it!
