John Garcia – John Garcia

1. My Mind
2. Rolling Stoned
3. Flower
4. The BLVD
5. 5000 Miles
6. Confusion
7. His Bullets Energy
8. Argleben
9. Saddleback
10. All These Walls
11. Her Bullets Energy
” is a man who doesn’t really need any introduction, so suffice it to say that he returns here with a set of solo tunes that are just about perfect for the current heat wave and, indeed, perfect for anyone who wants some laid back vibes. Lo-fi, bluesy and soulful, the hallmarks that many love about the man’s past ventures are here, but wrapped in a straightforward and old school rock package.”
“”My Mind” is straight ahead catchy- great vocal- and introduces you to the album in fine style. “Rolling Stoned” follows and sounds exactly how you would expect/want from the title. Crank it up, have a good time, relax…
“Flower” is a great groove and continues the garage vibe of the release- all boxy drums and scratchy vocals. “The BLVD” has a wonderfully relaxed groove and a good hook (The screw’s loose…) which leads into the more aggressive “5000 Miles” (the tempo doesn’t lift too much, though). A little like Steve Earle’s “Six Days On The Road” in terms of lyrical theme and a great travelling tune with a surprisingly sinister sounding guitar bridge.”
“”Confusion” goes down tempo, all doomy guitars that is lifted by Garcia’s bright vocal performance pre-wah pedal usage for a brief bridge. No percussion (well, until the very end), just guitar and voice. An interesting bridge track before “His Bullets Energy” restores the four on the floor groove while bass goes walkabout.”
“”Argleben” is a little quicker and heavier. Nice slow down at the end, too. “Saddleback” is quicker again as the track rolls along effectively. Great riffs are on show here, prior to a bass and drums breakdown. Again, it’s a good hook. The material here is all of a type- no huge surprises- but that is one of the record’s strengths. You get a mood piece, just right for relaxing and even for having a good time. Things get more excitable again on “All These Walls” but the pace, while energetic is held back enough to nod along to. “Her Bullets Energy” closes the show in languid style- acoustic guitar is the order of the day, accompanied by some basic percussion and Garcia’s ever-golden voice.”
“If you like Kyuss, Vista Chino, QOTSA or indeed Unida, Fu Manchu etc etc then this album is a must have. If you like laid back rock with a stoner vibe, strong hooks and a winning vocal performance then ditto. If you don’t like any of the aforementioned bands or characteristics, I pity you, because you are missing out- so give this one a try anyway. A strong album.”
The Sludgelord, Richard Maw
LP album (Black)
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