Old Man Reverb

Let There Be Reverb is the opening battle-cry that kicks off the amazing new album from The Jigsaw Seen. Jonathan Lea's guitar crunches and shimmers as the formidable rhythm section of Tom Currier and Teddy Freese lock down the slithering groove. The stage is set for Dennis Davison's tale of the album's title character. Lyrically sitting somewhere between Old Man River and Raw Power, the opening track introduces the album's themes of nature, art and show biz and their sometimes awkward and exploitative relationships. The tone takes a reflective turn on the next song, as Idiot With Guitars brings the proceedings back down to earth with a cautionary tale of the perils of pursuing artistic endeavors for reasons other than self-satisfaction. Musically speaking, Idiots is all glam-ballad drama, as quiet acoustic verses explode into heavy choruses of premium melodic guitar riffs and churning Hammond organ chords. If you've ever wished that someone would write a song about the AIDS epidemic that's neither maudlin nor preachy, then your wish has been granted. In using comedy as a metaphor for the illness, Dennis' Die Laughing offers a unique take on the subject. The clock ticks but levity beckons, a lethal shot of comedy. Tom brings some Abba-esque piano to the party, applying the requisite shine to this insistent gem. Add some vocoder and you've got a classic. The piano remains on the scene complementing Jonathan's guitar smorgasbord as Understand takes us on a concise but fully realized melodic journey. The song perfectly sets up the Stooges-esque crunch of We Women. The transistor vocal snarl, proto-garage guitars and relentless bass and drums can't disguise this as a feminist anthem.

The ethereal Madame Whirligig gradually rolls into your speakers, telling the true tale of a 150-year-old desert tortoise with wheels for back legs. Jonathan's e-bow guitar and Dennis' swirling rhythm fade into the painted desert landscape as the orchestral outro emerges to make a final stand. This touching paean leads to the sadder fate of Hercules And Sylvia, two lowland gorillas who spent much of their lives in captivity at the Baltimore Zoo. It's a memory recalled from Dennis' childhood. Chamberlin strings and harmony guitars dress this poignant piece in just the right textures. The sparkling acoustic guitar tones of Your Mind is like Mine arrive just in time and the mood of the album is suddenly in the ascension. Old Man Reverb's penultimate track Abide is equal parts Ennio Morricone and Frankie Laine. Jonathan's baritone guitar riff bludgeons the speakers while Dennis' vocal is forceful, yet resigned to having no choice but to accept the laws of nature. Teddy trades in his sticks for brushes and the band set off in a melancholy direction with the album's closing track, Grief Rehearsal. In an attempt to ease the pain of Mother Nature's ultimate cruelty, Dennis plaintively sings of imagining a loved one's death to try and soften the blow before the inevitable finally happens. The psychological ploy might not work, but the track is a soaring masterpiece. Baritone guitar gives way to lonely Chamberlain violins as the song fades into beautiful sadness, thus concluding Old Man Reverb.

Produced by bandmembers Dennis Davison and Jonathan Lea, splashes of art-rock, psych, garage and Americana are expanded and deconstructed to make this album a unique listening experience. Like their previous albums, Old Man Reverb features elaborate packaging designed by the band's guitarist, Jonathan Lea. Old Man Reverb was mastered for digital and vinyl by Grammy-winning engineer Sean Magee at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. Also available as a vinyl LP that comes packaged with a copy of the CD enclosed.