Lord High Admirals Wash Ashore

Those among us who were willingly swept along by Big Fish Ensemble’s misadventures in the ’90s will appreciate the lighthearted whimsy, dopey earnestness and all-out absurd goofiness of Lord High Admirals, a relatively new band fronted by BFE’s Paul Schwartz. The foursome also boasts Atlanta scene veteran Rob Gal (6X, Pink Pompeii, The Coolies) on guitars (‘n’ stuff), Joanna Steed on bass and Cayce Buttrey (Dern) on drums.

The combo’s self-titled debut CD packs 13 wry, ridiculous and well-played pop-rock toe-tappers, full of happy energy and befuddled bystander observations. Schwartz never was a particularly exceptional vocalist, and his voice has only grown ghastlier and more tuneless with age, but with material like “Horny Teens Are Waiting For Your Call” and “Japonica, Knotweed of the Summer Beds,” I can’t say it really becomes an issue. Sheila Doyle (ex-BFE) plays violin on one song, Deborah Hudson vocalizes on another. Release show is Friday, April 20th at the Avondale Towne Cinema, with Five-Eight also playing.