Bringing It All Back Home Again

The ever-prolific Brian Jonestown Massacre takes a detour onto the Which label for a six-song, half-hour affair that stands in stark contrast to their usual sprawling opuses. The sound of "Bringing It All Back Home Again" is comparable to that of their previous "Thank God for Mental Illness" -- mostly acoustic and country-tinged, reminiscent (as the title suggests) of the period when Bob Dylan was making the transition from acoustic to electric material, as well as the sort of country shuffles that popped up on some Rolling Stones records. Yet the record isn't a slavish imitation of either, with the Massacre affecting a more rural, lonesome-sounding tone and a moodier, more deliberate pace; the more traditional feel meshes well with Anton Newcombe's twisting of country-gospel lyrical clichés into rock & roll attitude. Since it's probably the BJM's most countryish outing to date, "Bringing It All Back Home" is able to differentiate itself from their extensive back catalog, and its conciseness (apart from epic closer "Arkansas Revisited") actually makes it easier to assimilate all at once than some of the group's hour-plus full-lengths. All in all, it's yet another fine effort. ~ Steve Huey