The Entrance Band – Self-Titled – Album Review

Editor’s Note:  Albums pile up quickly around here, and it’s difficult sometimes to maximize output and get our stamp on every album we enjoy.  In addition, we also have to work backwards a bit to put our ears to albums we miss.  Today’s post rather blends these two ideas together. The Entrance Band’s self-titled release last week completely missed me.  Completely aware of Guy Blakeslee’s stellar Prayer of Death album, I was both mildly upset this didn’t hit my radar in advance yet excited to evaluate it with a critical lens.

The Entrance Band – Self-Titled

Let’s assume for a moment that I’d never heard of Guy Blakeslee, completely unaware of his staunch back catalog of gripping blues-rock heraldry.  Prayer of Death was spectacular, and several seminal songs still get regular repeat nods for me when the mood suits. But let’s pretend I walked into this record wearing nothing but my birthday suit with a clean palate and untainted or biased ears.  Let’s also assume that I’m not an avid reader of album-slamming websites who only base content in comparison with past output.  Earlier today, I was involved in a short but useful twitter discussion with @daverawkblog and @igifconnor, editors at two of our favorite blogs, I Guess I’m Floating and Rawkblog.  Our discussion hinged around the effectiveness of musicians inundating the ether with anything and everything they compose.  Perhaps it’s a giant leap to bring Bob Pollard into this particular discussion, but the guy has launched four completely satiating albums in one calendar year.  The central argument is whether or not bands should dial it back and hone their craft in the effort to produce an album of merit every few years, or simply fire them out as soon as a collection of tracks is birthed.  There’s not going to be a lot of agreement in the room either way here, as someone’s dud is someone else’s masterpiece, which really lends itself to philosophical debates over the definition of valuable art.  Does the Circus Devils release from earlier this year have filler?  Absolutely.  Does this make it less valuable?  I’m not so certain.

Blakeslee’s newest release steers far away from recognizable patterns of old and unearths a more echoed and full-bodied stab at a wild conglomeration of blues, pop, and arena rock.  This shifts away from darker ouevres recognizable in past output, and regardless of initial impression, this is not entirely a bad thing for Blakeslee.  Still present are plenty of shifting arrangements, soaring, screeching bluesy guitar riffs, and heaps of gutty grime.  In this mode, Blakeslee keeps one foot in his past and, at times, it works beautifully.  The throwback grit of mid-sixties psychedelia is the backdrop for most tracks and this serves as a launching point for some of Blakeslee’s singularity and lofty guitar work.  Blakeslee is a guitarist and even from the initial ten seconds of the album’s opener, “Lookout!” it’s obvious that this will be omnipresent.  What’s starkly different from previous work, however is a much stronger pop aura presents itself throughout.  As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, this would be entirely sufficient for listeners who are not aware of Blakeslee’s solo work.  What stands here is a raucous and busy psych-pop record with enough sneer to warrant repeat plays.  In comparison to Prayer of Death, however,  a dilemma unfolds because the two differ so greatly in style.  Nowhere in the rules of artistic expression does it say that consistency is required, and if anything here, Blakeslee’s giant left turn in sound signifies some musical testicles.  Admittedly, there are a couple of slips, namely the reworkings of the seminal tracks from previous releases.  “Grim Reaper Blues” is an absolute gem from Prayer of Death and this new version comes out of the gate with entirely too much polish; it’s important to note, however, that there are no claims on this newest release that it’s an extension of anything he’s done previously.  There’s a hard to pinpoint intrigue and catchiness to this new sound, and when enjoyed without the knowledge of previous efforts, I have no problem reccomending this as well spent purchase.

Another facet of Blakeslee’s signature that is still working well here is the lack of brevity.  The tracks, partcularly “Still Be There” and “Sing for the One” waste little time fastening guitar antics and bluesy pop together with flourish.  At the same time, tracks are lengthy and the album requires patience to digest in one sitting.  Textured arrangements are ripe here, and regardless of personal preference, it’s easy to locate positive aspects of Blakeslee’s new emphasis on his backing band.  Essentially the value of this album will boil down to how easily a listener can let go of previous expectations.  I’m still on the record as enjoying Prayer of Death and it would do Blakeslee well to return to the more intimate aspects of this sound.  However, there’s a snarky respect I have for bands that step outside their expected output, even if I don’t identify with the changes as quickly.  This new effort is for rock fans, hands down, and my suggestion is to snag the album and go into it without pretense or expectations.  No doubt, this will wind up many iPod repeat listens this year.  Enjoy the reworked version of “Lookout!” from their 2003 release.  If you’re a fan of the original version of this track, hold onto your seatbelts.

The Entrance Band – Lookout!