FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ
On The Shore (Narnack)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

---

After an all too long hiatus, slide guitar virtuoso Bill Elm brings back the Friends with a bang. Compiling tracks from the European only releases "Wichita Lineman" and "Live at Club 2" for us North Americans, disc one starts off with a sonic surprise for those (myself included) used to the laid back loungey feel of records past. The expansive mood waves have not been abandoned, just augmented with a more Velvet Underground style approach. A nice intro to disc two: a new batch of material that lays down the new Friends law. Elm has left the building, wandered too long in the dessert, digested some potent hallucinogens and come up with the new Pink Floyd album. Oh wait, that's just the opening soundscape salvo. Soon the guitars are back and all is well. There does appear to be a more adventurous, orchestral feel here as Elm flushes out his intriguing ideas. This could be the soundtrack to David Lynch's next flick - a recommendation by the way.

© 2003 - John Sekerka