Review Summary: Brant’s back into gear.
Brant Bjork is back with a brand new sonic trip, his most focused and energetic in a while. Recruiting Palm Desert scene legend, Mario Lalli of Yawning Man & Fatso Jetson on bass after working together on the latter’s Rubber Snake Charmers project, extra muscle was added to the tunes. As a result,
Once Upon a Time in the Desert hits the hardest in over a decade or so. Whereas groove is mandatory, the crunchy guitars and uplifting tempos occasionally evoke Kyuss vibes. Songs such as “Down the Mountain” and “Rock and Roll in the Dirt” share those swinging rhythms Bjork’s former band made good use of. Of course, they are filtered through his solo era blues rock tone. Still, it’s a welcomed change to once again hear more intense music from Brant. Meanwhile, “Astrological Blues/Southern California Girl” toys with pounding riffs and melodic guitar solos, while Lalli’s sharp bass lines bring a rougher edge to the core. The fun continues on “Do You Get Some Fire?” and its smooth licks among meaty low end and fuzzy chords. It was a surprise to hear such pumping tracks after a handful of LPs where he adopted mostly a subdued, less is more approach.
As expected, we can hear a couple of more laid back moments too, however, they maintain a certain power level to blend in with the rest of the songs. “Magic Surfer Magazine” is one of them, although it kicks back into gear halfway through. Nevertheless, the mellow part is lovely, with those lush guitar leads alongside Brant’s silky croon. Same goes for “Higher Lows”, offering a fair dose of sweet, straightforward rock ‘n’ roll. Overall, it’s great to hear the desert rock scene veteran going strong almost 40 years into his career. His output remains just as relevant to the genre and always a pleasure to listen to.
Once Upon a Time in the Desert is a rewarding listen to anyone who enjoys the blues rock/stoner rock genres.
