Artist: Paul Bibbins
Album: Disenchantment At A Distance
Release: 2023
Website: https://paulbibbins.com/
Paul Bibbins' latest release Disenchantment At A Distance is a four song EP that fans of his music will absolutely love. It is exactly what one has come to expect from this musical time traveler. He is a throwback to the psychedelic days of Hendrix and Trower but somehow even trippier and nastier! Armed with what sounds like a Strat into a fuzz face and then onward to a Marshall amp he creates a picture that is a salute to the masters of the genre but still with his own unmistakable fingerprint. His sound is an unapologetic sonic assault that thankfully is far more focused on swag than precision delivering a very memorable listening experience.
Track One, Bold, Beautiful and Long picks up right where Jimi Hendrix left off. This cut has some unexpected turns from the jump that keep the listener engaged. The intro comes in loud and proud and then takes a sharp turn into the verse that somehow manages to flow, despite its hard change in direction. It is a masterclass in how 100% commitment to the sound can allow the song to go almost anywhere. The instrumental passes within the track are like a wrestling match between elation and discomfort. Quite a pleasing and interesting combo that undoubtedly inspires thought about what Paul is hearing in his head that he hasn't committed to tape yet.
The second and fourth tracks are instrumentals. Vista Valley Drift and Thrill Walk both conjure up thoughts of Hendrix blowing the concrete basement walls of NYC's Cafe Wha down to an amazed audience. Both clocking in at around four minutes with a loose take on blues changes, the listener is taken on a dizzying journey through the mind of an artist using all the colors available to him to paint a sonic picture that I am certain is interpreted in many different ways.
The title track Disenchantment At A Distance comes in like a bowling ball crushing the pins. There is so much Hendrix in what Paul does but there is also the recklessness of a punk band. It is this pairing that makes Paul's music a little more dangerous than Trower's and Hendrix. It flirts with the legendary Black Flag at times while never losing that late 60's guitar god vibe that was lacking in punk music. Punk had the attitude but lacked musical skill. Paul Bibbins' music somehow bridges the two into something that is unmistakably his own brand of provocative music.
It is his commitment to the sound he creates that is so admirable and memorable. It is like a chaotic combat scene in a movie where metal is bouncing off of metal. A scene where everyone is running for cover with explosions all around and shrapnel flying everywhere. But what holds it all together is the common goal that everyone from both sides of the struggle are simply trying to get out alive. It is that simple goal that is the beauty and the horror of it all. Put that image in your mind to Hendrix inspired hard rockin blues based guitar and you will get an idea of what Paul Bibbbins is laying down on this 4 song EP. Better yet, head to your favorite listening platform and give it a listen and see what images come to you. I guarantee you will have a reaction of some kind.