BOBAFLEX
Eloquent Demons
Thermal Entertainment
Perennial rockers BOBAFLEX seem to drop a solid album about every two years or so. I have had the pleasure of following this West Virginia band, fronted by the McCoy brothers Marty and Shaun; watching them grow and mature as musicians all while enduring the typical lineup changes, nagging transportation issues and the like. Eloquent Demons falls right into place as part of lineage of the band features some of the darkest, heaviest and most intricate performances to date.
I paid little attention to the intro track, which is a tongue n' cheek demon "pep rally" of sorts with lots of cheering going on. The band takes a stab at Trump, an easy target, unfortunately it only dates the material and adds nothing to the rest of the album. Moving on.
The first music-related track, "I Am A Nightmare", calls back to some of the qualities that initially made me fall in love with BOBAFLEX. It really reminds me of "Born Again" off of the group's Tales From Dirt Town record. There is an excellent vocal harmony that is isolated in the first verse and the bridge has a great hook. Dave Tipple shows off his handy work with an excellent solo to boot. Following up this true rocker is the deep, thought provoking "Long Time Coming", which is dark, gritty and will get you asking, "What if God doesn't believe in us?"
"Lights Out" - another noteworthy track, is a funky, anthem kind of song which throws flavors of BUCKCHERRY and is pretty much dedicated to drinking and destined to be a sing-a-long crowd favorite. Up next is the dark and heavy tune "Real Sadness"; the name says it all. Although a slow and grinding kind of track, it is one of the heaviest in the BOBAFLEX catalogue to date...that is, until it breaks down into a melancholy, bluesy interlude which offers a glimpse at just how wide the BOBAFLEX spectrum has grown over the years.
"Moon And The Shadows" kicks off with a wolf howl and features a unique, bass-driven verse that almost reminds me of THE POLICE. Otherwise it is a straight up rocker with an eerie chorus and includes Shaun McCoy's signature "Baby, Baby!" Also featured on this record is the already released cover of PINK FLOYD's "Hey You". Now I have never been a fan of PINK FLOYD and no one can ever convince me to like that stoner crap, but BOBAFLEX does an excellent job here of bringing out the raw qualities and emotion of the song. The chorus is heavier and once again, Dave Tipple's soulful solos shine through.
Simply put, Eloquent Demons, is yet another quality effort from one of the more tragically underrated bands in the last 10-or-so years. It is dark, serious and full of emotion, albeit mostly tragic or melancholy in nature. I should also note that shortly before I received this album, long-time guitarist Dave Tipple announced that he would be departing the band. What was such an unstable part of the band for a portion of the group's history had finally been nailed down by a true pro. I hope BOBAFLEX can find the right person to fill his shoes, especially with a fresh album on deck.
4.0 Out Of 5.0
