BEVIS FROND, THE - Son Of Walter (2LP+mp3) (Sealed) (2LP)

When the sleeve of The Bevis Frond's ,Son Of Walter" arrived circa 1996 it was a mystery. The title is scratched on a window overlooking an Islington block of flats, the sunset is distorted. Today it would be the view from a banging grime pirate radio station. Back then, it was one man locked in his bedroom with too many ideas and too many instruments (and a Portastudio). It's the Bevis Frond's 15th studio album. Nick Saloman decided to make a return to the style of the first few BF records and went back to the home recording facilities, and back to being the only person involved. The trademark folk strum with multi-harmonies is there. There's a slight nod to a country-ish CSN&Y thing, but that's only for four bars. Who remembers that when there is the colossal ,Garden Aeroplane Trap", a proper wig out at 12 minutes 20. Elsewhere there is the kind of timeless psyche pop that people with ears really love, two songs that namecheck Elvis and a song about a dead man on a train. That was London in the late 0s. Hey, rock 'n' roll.