Black Market Karma – ‘Wobble’
New album release on Fuzz Club
If 2024 ever does serve up a summer of any note you have the soundtrack to it right here….
‘Wobble’, Black Market Karma’s third album in recent years (after ‘Aped Flair & Hijacked Ideas’ in 2022 and ‘Friends In Noise’ in 23, both on Flower Power Records and both essential) exists in its own time and space, equally ideal to transport you to another place on a melancholic rainy suburban day or during a sparkling lysergic sun trip. It’s uniquely British sounding, dated but bang up to date, from grainy black and white to glorious colour.
Out any day now on Fuzz Club, this is authentic, organic and uplifting, literally a dream of a record. Kind of lo-fi but at the same time lush and packed with hooks and melodies; looped drum beats, vocals run through miles of effects, weird electronica and organic layers of guitar…it’s a quirky pop record that vibrates with a 60s feel but nothing is forced or false, this genuinely feels psychedelic in a peculiar understated way and captures a strange childlike innocence and optimism. It doesn’t rely on just a druggy haze of tropes and doesn’t need to resort to cliches. Totally authentic and seems to be effortless, hitting peak psychedelic pop perfection on a regular basis.
It’s one of those records that conjures up childhood memories from idealised times and situations that probably never happened, that weird nostalgic ache that makes no sense but can be found in certain tunes and sounds.
For the duration of twelve tracks nothing else matters, you’re free to drift and dream. It may be (deliberately) lo-fi but it’s finely and carefully crafted as such. The whole record is varied in sound but it feels like there’s a theme buried just out of reach in your subconscious, running through the 4 instrumental and 8 vocal tracks. At times it sounds like the best record the Beatles ever made but forgot to release (such as opener ‘Mushy Conscience’, at other times fragile and shimmering pop (‘Puddle Eyed Sponger’, brilliant song title as well!)), fuzzy tripped out psych (‘The Death Throes Of Nuance’) and with closing track ‘Stepping Loose’ (see video above) like a supremely laid back and ultra-cool film soundtrack.
Quality tunes and blissful beats, give it three listens and you’ll be hooked.
Hats off to you Mr Stanley Belton, that’s some righteous vision you’ve shared with us here.
July 2024
