REVIEW: Bill Puddle, Bill Puddle (Huge Records)
- Bill Holmes
No, there's no poor sap with a name like that. Bill Puddle is actually a Toronto based four-piece that features good songs and an uncomplicated loose knit sound. Loose is good? Okay - think Neil Young jamming with The Replacements on "Ha Ha Ha" (all harmonics and loopy guitar lines), Transformer era Lou Reed on "Family Tree" and the quirky folk-pop of Michael Shelley and Robyn Hitchcock on "Maybe Then". If you like those bands, you'll love these guys.
Puddle's roots are obviously steeped in country and Stones riffs, but what makes the outcome so good revolves around Paul Emery's clever songs and Patrick Gregory's amazing range of guitar sounds. Gregory doesn't flash, he snakes his way around and through the material, catching your ear and acting more the navigator than the driver. The rhythm section is solid but never in the spotlight, much like the harmonies and background vocals never overwhelm Emery's effort. Bill Puddle has many good moments like the lurching kickoff track "When I Let You Down", the folksy charm of "Saginaw" and especially the radio-ready "Making Believe".
There are a billion records being released every day, and when I find something like this in the pile I remember why I love writing about music so much. An impressive debut.
For more information about the band, set your browser to: http://www.hugerecords.com/HTML/bill.htm
