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"Less unbridled than its predecessor, "Hermit" is nonetheless a small masterpiece, with lyrics of great depth and songs that are simple at first glance, but reveal treasures of melody."
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5/5
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Ron Thal is an unusual character who wastes no time and, despite the new and brutal notoriety acquired in the small world of guitar with "The Adventures of Bumblefoot", he offers us a second album only two years after his first. Little or no change around the album, same label, his brother Jeff is still on drums and Ron takes care of the rest. A few guest saxophones and cellos round out the line-up for "Hermit", a fundamentally different record from the previous one.
'Zero' is a short introduction to 'Hermit', which sets the scene with its gloomy, sticky atmosphere and magnificent acoustic arpeggios. This track reveals the thoughts of a sincere man intent on the things that really matter to him, mixed with a heart-rending, self-confessed loneliness. As much as we love the New Yorker's harmonic delirium, it's on the intriguing atmospheres of 'Goodbye', 'Unsound' and 'Gray' that Ron Thal surprises us most. His songwriting comes close to classic grunge, with a rumbling bass, lots of power chords and bright, creative solos.
Only the last three tracks and 'I Can't Play The Blues' mark a far more jovial and burlesque break. Between the deliriously fast-paced sailor's tale of 'Rowboat' (which gives some hints of what's to come on Uncool), the supersonic 'Hangup', whose melody is played over extremely fast natural harmonics, and the crooner's display of 'Everytime I Shake My Head (It's Like Christmas)', the pressure of the beginning is largely relieved. Many of the tracks were written in situations of emergency or illness, like snapshots of life, caesuras in Ron Thal's tormented present.
Although "Hermit" is very different from its predecessor, less delirious, less technical, less instrumental and darker, it is nonetheless surprising, with lyrics of great depth and songs that are at first sight simple, but which reveal treasures of melody. "Hermit" is Bumblefoot's second album, and already their second masterpiece. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Zero-02:05
02. Hermit-05:48
03. Fatback-03:40
04. Freak-05:08
05. Sweetmeat-04:18
06. I Can't Play The Blues-03:30
07. Gray-06:28
08. Unsound-04:57
09. Goodbye-05:50
10. Rowboat-04:31
11. Hangup-02:58
12. Every Time I Shake My Head It's Like Xmas-03:56
LINEUP:
Jeff Thal: Batterie
Ron Thal: Chant / Guitares / Basse / Claviers
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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(0) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
4/5 (1 view(s))
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STAFF:
4.5/5 (2 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH BUMBLEFOOT
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT BUMBLEFOOT
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