Bottom Of The Hudson reviewed
Bottom Of The Hudson
Fantastic Hawk
(Absolutely Kosher)
The long-awaited follow-up to the Holiday Machine EP finds Bottom Of The Hudson testing out this whole “band” thing.
It’s difficult as of this writing to not want to attach deeper meaning to Fantastic Hawk (bassist Trevor Butler was killed when the band’s van flipped in late July). Bottom Of The Hudson have long been an alter-ego for Eli Simon, and tragedy strikes just as he has a de facto band. There are times when Simon is still very much on his own here (“Calculating Wire,” “Rusty Zippers”), but only when the whole band get in on the act and swirl clouds on the title track or pound “Over Engineered” into the Earth do you grasp BOTH’s potential. Despite this being their third substantial release, however, parts of Hawk feel as if Simon and co. are figuring out what to work influences to pick up on. The fly-by “Hide And Seek” becomes more about effects than song, and sometimes the vocals sound like they’re on stilts — towering, but melodically unsteady. There are flashes of Bob Mould and David Grubbs, yet nothing sticks. Ironically, it’s when Bottom Of The Hudson drop acid to Guided By Voices — who never had the most stable lineup — do sonics and dreams unite into a clattering racket that doesn’t intend to show ambition, but somehow does.
— Kevin Keegan
Click here to download “Beehive.”
