Release Date: September 20th 2024. Record Label: Duna Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Once Upon A Time In The Desert - Track Listing:
1. U.R. Free
2. Backin' The Daze
3. Higher Lows
4. Down the Mountain
5. Magic Surfer Magazine
6. Sunshine Is Making Love To Your Mind
7. Rock And Roll In The Dirt
8. Astrological Blues (Southern California Girl)
9. Do You Got Some Fire?
Line-up:
Brant Bjork - guitar & vocals
Mario Lalli - bass
Ryan Güt - drums
Review
Desert Rock/Stoner Rock icon Brant Bjork is back with a new project simply titled Brant Bjork Trio and this is their debut album Once Upon A Time In The Desert. This time round Brant has recruited another legend of the Desert Rock scene Mario Lalli on Bass Guitar and Ryan Güt on Drums once again. The record is a classic mix of Desert Rock and Stoner Rock sounds that Brant has helped define for the best part of over thirty years with his work with KYUSS, FU MANCHU and his other countless projects.
I was expecting Stöner 2.0 before hearing the record and it’s a totally different beast with this record more closely aligned to Brant’s recent solo work and his earlier bands such as Brant Bjork and the BrosBrant Bjork and the Low Desert Punk Band whilst still being quite different as well. As the record has a sublime Classic Hard Rock sound influenced by the Seventies Californian Rock scene. The album has an excellent feel good factor throughout which harks back to the classic days of Stoner Rock. Brant Bjork Trio have a joyful and playful attitude appearing within the lyrics which you’ll experience within the opening tracks of U.R. Free and Backin The Daze.
The record does feel quite personal at times with Brant singing about his youth and the adventures perhaps the whole band got upto. If you dig hazy Psychedelic grooves with a fresh SUNNY attitude then Brant Bjork Trio is here to save the day but they do add moments of seedy 70’s RAWK AND ROLL when the time calls for it of course.
The instrumental sounds are first rate which is what you would expect with a band consisting of the talents of Brant Bjork, Mario Lalli and Ryan Güt. You can hear echoes of the members other bands such as Yawning Man and Fatso Jetson being added into the mix for a cool retrospective Desert Rock sound especially when Mario’s bass fully takes centre stage on tracks such as Higher Lows, Down The Mountain and Magic Surfer Magazine.
Once Upon A Time In The Desert works best when it’s acting as a celebration of the iconic sounds all three members have created over the years and give it a Classic Rock twist with some surprising modern day elements appearing especially on the second half of the record. There are some tender Blues Rock grooves which have a slight WEEDIAN haze courtesy of the spicy lyrics that allows Brant Bjork Trio to become more rebellious with their music.
The second half of the album is perhaps more influenced the 1970’s Rock landscape with a deeply rich style of melody and raw sounding guitars but still having that quintessential Stoner Rock rhythm on tracks such as Sunshine Is Making Love To Your Mind, Rock And Roll In The Dirt and Astrological Blues (Southern California Girl).
Brant Bjork has also relaunched his record label Duna Records after an eighteen year hiatus with Brant saying:
“Things come and go and sometimes they come back again. With that said, It's an exciting time for me to be officially re-launching Duna Records. Duna was a vision I had in the mid-'90s and it finally became a reality in 2002 until its hiatus in 2006. Duna Records was and will continue to be my personal record label that is a home for all things creative amongst myself and others that are close to me.
The timing couldn't be better for Duna to begin a new life. I'm very lucky to be able to sustain a life as the musician that I am. I certainly wouldn't be able to do so without all of the musicians, music industry partners and of course, the fans that have supported me for 25 years. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my musical journey and show my appreciation than to re-launch Duna Records and release new and old music directly to my fans, the way it was always meant to be. Thank you and stay tuned for more desert rock."
With the promise of more Desert Rock to come in the future that’s always worth celebrating in my book. However, let's keep with the present and this record which is helped along by superb production values, that allows the kings of Southern California Desert Rock deliver a record that feels like a GREATEST HITS PACKAGE and not a debut release.
Once Upon A Time In The Desert has all the makings of being the standout Desert Rock album of the year.
WOW, what an album. That’s my final word on the album. You know what to do.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Once Upon A Time In The Desert will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Duna Records from Friday September 20th 2024.
BRANT BJORK TRIO links