Dean Blunt – “Black Metal”
Dean Blunt – Black Metal
2014 – Rough Trade – 11/3/2014
Medium Rotation – 4/5
RIYL: John Maus, Jandek, David Lynch
Reviewed by: Stephen Wuchina
What’s the deal with Dean Blunt? As a member of Hype Williams, he produced warped lo-fi dream pop that sounded like the echoes from a half remembered nightmare. His solo work has been similarly odd, favoring pristine rock samples instead of fuzzed out keyboards, but retaining a detached delivery and overall feeling of murky mystery, deeply personal yet impenetrable. Black Metal is his first release on a significant label (Rough Trade, one of the early punk rock pioneers), but it doesn’t bring us any closer to understanding the man or the motivations behind the enigmatic work. The first half is the most accessible work he’s done to date, with Dean delivering his bleak lyrics of disconnection over dreamy guitar samples and ghostly vocals from Joanne Robertson. 50 Cent is a post-punkish moody song done in this style, while 100 is a gorgeous piece of jangly pop that still floats in the same murky water. Gradually, things become weirder and more experimental. The middle of the album is taken up by a lengthy instrumental improvisation called Forever. Like David Lynch’s Lost Highway, Black Metal comes out on the other side re-imagined, now a weird, sparse hip hop album with jazzy saxophone and minimalist beats. Mersh’s grimy beat is accompanied by a deadpan freestyle from Blunt and chintzy organ chords. Grade ends the album with no clear answers – just thick Vangelis synth chords and a longing sax solo plays as the curtain closes. Though this is undeniably a singular and unique piece of work from an artist with one of the most unique visions today, his off-key singing and the generally dark, creepy nature of the record makes most of the tracks not the best fit for radio play. Still, an evocative and beautiful album all the same.
Picks: 2, 4, 12, 13
