Artist: Paul Bibbins
Album: Disenchantment At a Distance (Redux)
Released: 2024
Website: https://paulbibbins.com/
Paul Bibbins is a throwback to the psychedelic heyday of Hendrix and his San Francisco counterparts. I can't think of an artist that I have heard over the years capture that vibe as well as Bibbins. With a power trio approach to his music there is lots of space for all involved to stretch and get busy on their instrument, reminding me of the extended jams of the legendary Cream. Like them, it is rooted in the blues but stretching miles beyond that starting point. This album is a nine song effort clocking in at about 43 minutes and there isn't a moment of rest in it. Each song is a sonic assault that is both aggressive and beautiful simultaneously.
Up 25 High is a track that embraces the "Manic Depression" side of Hendrix in all of its glory. When I think of Hendrix it is always that song that plays in my head and Bibbins seems to have recorded the sequel to it in many ways. One of the things that always surprises me about this approach to music is how busy the recording is without any of the instruments stepping on one another's toes. It teeters between psychedelia, punk and fusion in its recklessness, embracing all the coolest qualities of each.
A standout track is Napoleans Wear The Big Hats. Bibbins has a way of creating soundscapes that lend themselves to an almost spoken word approach to the vocal. It's as if Lou Reed found his place in Band of Gypsys. As the band is throwing down some serious sounds, the vocal floats on top of the groove like a boat on the ocean. It is being thrown around by the turbulent waves but still afloat and steering its plotted course.
As the record continues to spin in my speakers I find myself drawn time and again to Woman Across The Garden Wall. This one is so loose that it's like mud that has just enough dirt in it to be considered something that isn't liquid and then effortlessly swings to a pocketed freight train. If I had to choose one track as a sampler that captures the sound of Paul Bibbins this would be it. It has everything that makes his music so memorable. The fuzzed out guitar, bombastic drums, interesting lyrics and vibe to spare!
Paul Bibbins is no doubt a throwback in time and spirit. His music is fiercely Hendrix influenced, yet somehow fresh and still his own. It always leaves me wondering if this is where Hendrix would've continued onto. Would he have expanded on the foundation that has influenced guitarists for decades and opened it up a bit more into where Paul Bibbins has found his feet to land? If you are a fan of Cream and Hendrix you will undoubtedly find this record interesting. It is not for the faint of heart. This is a creative juggernaut that means business... on every level.
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