“I’m not like anybody else,” Diesel sings on his 16th album and true dat!
Diesel (aka Mark Lizotte) is not only an undisputed guitar virtuoso, but also boasts distinctive, enviable pipes: his smoked-honey timbre lingers, dripping with bluesy soul.
Aside from saxophonist Bernie Bremond (previously of Johnny Diesel & The Injectors) parping brilliantly on two album tracks and Lee Moloney – Lizotte’s drummer of choice for two decades – pummeling the skins like a boss throughout, Diesel plays absolutely everything else on this multifaceted masterpiece.
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“A space/ A time/ An arc/ A line…” – the pre-chorus in Forever, Bootleg Melancholy’s opening lead single, is giving Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap vibes. With its fuzzed-out guitars, standout track Backpedal – which personifies anxiety (“Late at night you stand there, darkening my door/ Just like a shitty rom-com flick from 1994”) – channels legendary ‘90s bands such as Dinosaur Jr., Pixies and The Breeders.
Elsewhere: Like A Dove, a Prince homage, reflects on the trappings of fame; the title track, a hat tip to Elliott Smith, references a mural Diesel’s regularly clocked during time spent in Silver Lake (“… with Elliott there up on the wall”); it’s impossible not to pull a stank face during the Corduroy And Crumbs guitar breakdown; and Starts With One features his very first beatboxing attempt (sounds like an actual kick drum, though!).
As for this scribe’s personal fave, Never Giving Up – it’s so goddamn sweet I could just about weep! Can. Not. Stop. Listening.
LABEL: BLOODLINES
RELEASE DATE: 13 OCT
