Paul Roland, Bates Motel

Have you ever had one of those periods in life when things happen one after another, and after a while you can scarcely believe that there is some continuity between the previous period of relatively good times and the horror of your current everyday life? If like me you've had a bellyful lately, you may be in the mood, feel receptive, get on the wavelength of Paul Roland and his alt-new wavish neo-psych rocker Bates Motel (Sireena 2110).

This is dark macabre rock and it has a combo presence and song presence that stays with you after you hear it a few times. Now I lost the press sheet (figures) so I have no idea what I am supposed to know about Paul Roland. But it IS the music that matters. Think of Syd Barrett today if he were in good mental and physical health, alive and well and moving forward. There's something of that. Not all the time and it's present-day evolved, less in the jam zone, less fritzed. And it is dark fun. Spooky. Well done.

There are some good garagy-psych arrangements for guitar, organ, bass, drums . . . and quirky vocals that wont win Paul Roland any awards I suppose but this isn't about awards; it's about an underground (pun?) rock scene that continues on. I think you'd like it if it sounds interesting to you. This is self-chosen audience music. Word of mouth. I am a mouth. Does that fit together? Now on with my rotten life!! So long for now. Time to commemorate my earth-entry day by...going to buy a coffee pot!