Rosy Jack World (1991)

Blake Babies — Rosy Jack World

Select, September 1991

BLAKE BABIES — Rosy Jack World — MAMMOTH MR 0025/CD

Boston has a thriving underground scene, although the bands it spawns are typically self-effacing about their background and their music.

Blake Babies are a case in point, a guy-and-two-gals outfit who dress down and just, like, write songs and play them. The presence of Lemonhead Evan Dando in their ranks colours in the picture of their total Boston-ness.

'Rosy Jack World', a five-track "mini-LP" of material left over from last year's second album, 'Sunburst', adds the finishing touches. Gentle melodies, shifting moods, brittle voices mewing low in the mix...

This is either Throwing Muses with more backbone and effects pedals, or Dinosaur Jr made even more unassuming by a strict course in table manners. The version of J Mascis' 'Severed Lips' is polite in its melancholy.

The tune potential is fulfilled in the wriggling acoustic structure of 'Nirvana', with more sharply volatile vocals from Juliana Hatfield, and her breezy pop reading of Grass Roots' 'Temptation Eyes'. Elsewhere, the singing is too muted. You could reach the end of 'Downtime' without realising there's guest backing from Henry Rollins and Diamanda Galas!

That must be some kind of achievement, but you won't hear Blake Babies shouting about it. ■■■□□

Andrew Perry