A FIERCE PANCAKE

Stump

Crossover Prog

3.94 | 4 ratings

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Evolver
Special Collaborator
Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams

When bassist Kev Hopper joined up with guitarist Chris Salmon to form Stump, he was looking to create something unconventional. In his words: "I originally had in mind a band that would play a cross between 'Suction Prints' by Captain Beefheart and 'DMZ' by Brand X ? splintered structures and dissonant harmonics - combined with a post-punk flavour a singer might bring."

I think he succeeded.

Structurally, the songs are fairly simple. The time signatures stay almost exclusively in 4/4, and the song format is very close to the standard pop verse/chorus/break standard. But Hopper's bass, very similar to Percy Jones' style, with a lot of mandolin-style fast plucking, and McKahey's angular, dissonant guitar licks elevate them to art-rock status.

Lyrically they are interesting as well, tackling themes from the power of money, alcoholism, and even big bottoms with delightfully ascerbic sarcasm.

Highlights are Chaos, a jolly sea chanty, Charlton Heston, which is filled with wordplay relating to one of the man's most famous movie roles, and Doctor (A Visit To The), with cool stream of consciousness lyrics.

Unfortunately, pressure to change their style to something more commercial caused this fine group to disband after only one full lenght album.

Oh well.

Evolver | 4/5 | 2013-9-13

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