By Monk
As I sit down to spin this, the first new album in ten years from ‘Farmer’ Dave Scher, the mystical Californian songwriter best known for his work with acts such as All Night Radio, Beachwood Sparks, Kurt Vile and Skiffle Players (as well as our own Elvis Costello), the late afternoon sun is streaming through the rooftop window of my studio at ÜRHQ – and that is quite an apposite tincture to the day, as this self-titled debut from his latest project is an early indication that it will not be long before brighter, summer days come our way…
Farmer Dave is one of those wonderful artists whom it is impossible to pigeonhole, turning his hand to psychedelic-soaked LA pop as easily does as he does Midwest Americana, infusing blues-tinted jazz miens into Sixties-evoking surf pop and firing the whole lot into a gothic noir melting pot that touches on the breeziness of the Beach Boys or the Mamas & Papas as much as it does the darkness of Jane’s Addiction and Iron Butterfly, or even the laidback grooves of Tim and Jeff Buckley.
Better known as a pedal steel guitarist, this album – which apparently was recorded in a series of live sessions, a feel which is firmly evoked in the extremely organic nature of the overall sound – sees Scher also stepping up to mic, and his delicate, almost ethereal vocals definitely suit the delicacy and fragility of many of the songs.
This is definitely one of those albums that transports you to an entirely different place. One both inside and outside of yourself. One where you can forget about the cares which burden you and enjoy a brief reverie, a respite from this horrible world and all that it contains and tries to impose upon you. It is the soundtrack of a summer come early. A wondrous, immersive aural experience that suspends time for its beatific duration. Prepare to be transported to an altogether different, more delightful, plane of existence…
- ‘Farmer Dave & The Wizards Of The West’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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