DUKE 72
Big Hogg man’s funky debut channels the golden age of the jam band.
Judging by the title and cover alone of this latest release from the evereclectic Bad Elephant, you’d be forgiven for assuming that it contains a type of sub-Tolkien whimsy for buyers of dream catchers and crystal unicorns. The clue is in the band’s name, however: the spirit of 1972, specifically around the area of west London. The
Mid Shires Herald is a rather excellent evocation of Ladbroke Grove’s psychedelic jam rock scene, where harmony guitars and vocals are underpinned by proggy chord changes and parping horns, brought to us by Big Hogg man Justin Lumsden (with assorted bandmates/members of Trembling Bells). Think of groups like Man, Help Yourself and the Edgar Broughton Band, with a dash of early Queen.
The album starts loose and spacey, but gradually gets tighter and funkier. Rust And Stars is a superb piece of strutting groove rock with folky female vocs hovering in the ether. Backbone Of A Jellyfish suggests some Beefheart-style strangeness, while the slinky Oxblood And Rings recalls both the Canterbury and West Coast sounds. Our pick is the crackling dub of Out Of Reach, a fine showcase for Duke 72’s mellow but far from toothless vibe.