Bart & The Bedazzled – Blue Motel

Bart Davenport has been on the scene for while now, sort of as the savant of L.A. indie....
Bart & The Bedazzled : Blue Motel
9.2 Burger
2018 

Bart & The Bedazzled : Blue MotelBart Davenport has been on the scene for while now, sort of as the savant of L.A. indie. However, he’s always remained an eclectic and niche singer songwriter, from his early days in The Loved Ones, to his coffeeshop sound in all of his solo albums, barring Physical World. The hybrid indie pop-rock remains in Bart & The Bedazzled, but seemingly some of the niche is dusted off in his first effort with Bart & The Bedazzled, Blue Motel. A release which starts as starry eyed as it ends, and does a more direct version of Bart’s sappy pop music with some aggressive guitar solos mixed in.

The journey begins with single-worthy “Blue Motel”, “Halloween By The Sea” and “What’s Your Secret (Cleo)”. Each song is as bold and different as the next, and that is what works best here, “Blue Motel” is a rocking number, happy pop-rock, romance, and pain, but it is really an anthem. “Halloween By The Sea” is seemingly plodding, but is really more emotional and excited, as this political anthem opens with “I watched the sun go down on the U.S.A.,” plus the drum beat is great. “What’s Your Secret (Cleo)” is a borderline Pains of Being Pure at Heart number, and this kind of bizarre shoegazey in your face energy is there throughout the release.

“Life Under Water” is reasonably Bart Davenport familiar, but more, yes it needs to be said, ‘yacht rock.’ “The Amateurs” follows that up with a similar direction, but much more emotion, the relaxing rock is made into a late night electronic track. This is primetime Bart, when he coons here it could be clipped straight from solo release Maroon Cocoon, “try a little harder” he quips, and one wants to.

“Your Sorrow” is another classic Davenport song, with more electronics, but following that is the video single, “The House That Built Itself”, and this is more Searching For Bart Davenport era, but somehow sadder and poppier. If that mellow sadness held the release, it’s only for a moment though, as the hope from the first track, picks up on “Time Machine For Two”, which while understated chill music is very funk driven as is “Single Life”, a song based on saxophone only. That is just how good this release is, each track offers something different and emotional, but for fans of romance and indie singer-songwriting. “Grown Ups” follows up with again more psychedelic pop, a very felt sound gives Bart some reflection on adulthood and the music industry.

As the final track, “Vampire” is just perfect, ethereal, emotive, ambient, and catchy. This is a song for the sad and a song for the happy all the same. Perhaps, as hopeful as it is, “For the sad and the happy” is the best way to describe Blue Motel. As always with Davenport, the question is can Bart & The Bedazzled ride this high into more success, or does a sadder album follow?

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