British pop and rock artists have looked east across the Atlantic Ocean for inspiration nearly 30 years on. Early recordings by the Rolling Stones, and The Who exemplify experimentation in the realm of jangled guitars and southwestern American drawls. Forever engraved in the vinyl of rock recordings, this historical strain of influence is still noted in the work of mega-stars Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger and Pete Townshend. However, with all that glitters also comes some relatively stagnant water. Respectfully so, the 50-60 year old rockers aren't nescicarilly carving new tributaries with their axes.
Hope still exists in London.
Gathering and choreographing stereotypical L.A.isms, lifted directly from the surface of Ruscha's paper and canvas, Bell and Stephenson transform painter Rushca into something of an abstract balladeer. The narrative combined with Bell's Memphis country-like guitar phrasing, locates listeners somewhere between a moonlit Mojave desert night and the backseat of a vintage Chevrolet Impala convertible cruising that infamous stretch of road as it empties out onto Highway 1 and the Pacific Ocean. Bell and Stephenson have waded bravely into the murky territory of many British musical partnerships. And, the ability to wear their slightly naive curiosity on their sleeve's makes the duos recording all the more enchanting. Only the likes of Ray Davies or Morrisey would risk such vulnerability.