Bark Psychosis

Introduction

Bark Psychosis is (was) a whole team of people but mainly:

Daniel Gish - keyboards
John Ling - bass & percussion
Mark Simnett - drums & percussion
Graham Sutton - vocals & guitars etc

[ Album cover ]

Hex
by Bark Psychosis

Released 1994
Label: 3rd Stone
Catalogue: stone CIRCD 29

[ Reviewed September 2002 ]

It turns out that this was their only proper studio album so a wasted potential then...  This is an album of slowly sung emotional songs, similar in style to the Henry Fool album also reviewed here.  It is very atmospheric and melancholy, the vocals are almost whispered but not quite.  I actually find the vocals to be fine as they add to the overall intimacy, although they may not be to everyone's taste.  The music is almost ambient at times and features carefully played indie-sounding distorted guitars with thoughtful drumming and moody bass guitar.  (Some of the bass motifs stand out in their own right and get me humming them for days on end.) Additional colours are added with many different instruments including strings and vibraphone.  There are lengthy drifting instrumental sections as the singing does not take up a large proportion of the music.  The tracks are of a good length to fully explore their themes.

From the outset The Loom sets the scene with that great deep bass tune that I end up humming for days at a time, gentle piano and lovely drumming that sounds like it's being played with hands and brushes.  Other standouts are Absent Friend for gorgeous repeating guitar notes, Big Shot for... no I have to stop here.  All of the tracks are excellent, there isn't a duff one.  I'll just mention the final track Pendulum Man which is a neat instrumental that starts with alternating guitar notes for clock ticks and gradually becomes more and more ambient.

This is actually one of my favourite albums of recent time; I've played it a huge amount.  I'm not sure if it's available any more though.

Tracks:
1.The Loom5:15
2.A Street Scene5:35
3.Absent Friend8:20
4.Big Shot5:17
5.Fingerspit8:21
6.Eyes & Smiles8:30
7.Pedulum Man9:53
total time 51:18

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[ Album cover ]

Independency
by Bark Psychosis

Released 1994
Label: 3rd Stone
Catalogue: stone 010CD

[ Reviewed September 2002 ]

Although released in 1994, this album consists of pieces from 1990 to 1992.  I am assuming it is an archive album released after Hex but I could be wrong.  Although the band line-up is the same as on Hex, the feel of the album is very different.  It has much more of a hard edge to a lot of the sound with the inclusion of some pretty nasty sounds and almost screaming at times in the background.  The album starts with I Know - acoustic guitar and even some whale songs before those familiar soft vocals, this time augmented by an un-credited female in the background.  It's not bad but doesn't quite grab me.  The same is true of the next track which is a pretty straightforward slow song.  They're back to Hex form with the 8-minute All Different Things which moves along nice and slowly but has a couple of uplifting 'choruses' of arpeggiating guitars and handclaps.  By Blow and Manman take on a darker hard-edged style which I don't like before the smoother Blood Rush brings things back on track (again like Hex).  In fact this is a beautiful song with delicate guitars and is probably worth getting the album for - at 7 minutes is far too short.  I can't get on with Tooled Up which is back to the nastiness of earlier tracks.  The lengthy Scum finishes off the album pretty well actually with some of the characteristic soft singing leading to plenty of instrumental experimenting and playing around.  There's a groovy deep bass that holds the whole thing together as distortions abound like some sort of King Crimson improvisation.

So sadly not another Hex then as I was hoping, it just doesn't have the same emotional pull for me.  However some really fine moments with Blood Rush and Scum that are worth having and putting on in those quiet moments.

Tracks:
1.I Know4:11
2.Nothing Feels3:46
3.All Different Things8:13
4.By Blow5:14
5.Manman5:04
6.Blood Rush7:15
7.Tooled Up7:38
8.Scum21:24
total time 63:22

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Copyright Steve Bachini