Blackfox Embraces Multiple Personality Disorder

If memory serves, last time Blackfox put out an album the lineup amounted to four, maybe five dudes in that nebulous middle-aged range, meaning they’d logged time with enough local bands (Myssouri, Aku You, Lindsay Rakers, Blair Lott, Lipstick Stains, Viva La Diva and Pirates in Love among them) to know that if they’re gonna keep at it, they needed to play their own shit and fuck all the rest. And that was a pretty good record, too. I think it was just called Blackfox.

Well, now they have another CD coming out, and they’ve expanded into a nine-headed beast that includes vocalists Monica Arrington (Nerdkween) and Andy Gish (Yum Yum Tree), guitarist Jonny Daly and keyboardist Jim Combs. The eight tracks on La Brea stray all around the neighborhood, from gruff ‘n’ tumble rock to spaced-out Bowie burble, from sprightly country-ish clap-alongs to gospel-inflected blues, from bland MOR pop to painfully overwrought melodrama! I suppose there’s something to be said for trying to please everyone, but what the fuck? A little focus and quality control could’ve lifted this recording immensely. But hey, man – they’re playing their own shit and fuck all the rest!

The album release show takes place March 30th at Smith’s Olde Bar, downstairs in the Atlanta Room. Which means they won’t get to try out the new lift, aw darn…