Bennett Wilson Poole – Bennett Wilson Poole (2018)

Robin Bennett, Danny Wilson and Tony Poole make up a super group of sorts, reaching back into the early 1970’s when Tony Poole, with his twelve string Rickenbacker, late of the band Starry Eyed & Laughing, was touted as the English Byrds. Add that to Wilson’s and Bennet’s harmonically laced America sounds, and while perhaps not a new version of Crosby Stills & Nash, the trio are certainly a force to be reckoned with, serving up a combination of everything that’s good … equal parts of instrumentation, lyrics, storytelling, and vocalizing that’s just rough enough around the edges to let you know that you’re in for some summer fun.

Musically you couldn’t ask for more, there’s a sensational intimate warmth to be drawn from these easygoing numbers, songs that are drenched in mild reverb, a haunting soft Hammond organ, drums that jump, along with infectious guitars that inspire one to consider that somehow these emancipations got lost during the late 60’s and have only now surfaced. Other musical visions laid out here include bright harmonica work and the shimmering unexpected use of a Mellotron … all this of course creates brightly coloured hazy sketches around the edges, allowing the music to ride down the avenue of folk rock (or psychedelic folk), yet here, comes off as swirling visionary gems, where the players meld as one in thought and action, coming across as accomplished assured and cohesive.

These guys sound as if they’ve been playing together for ages, with their stylish production and picking being a landmark in a world where all too much sounds derivative of something else, and while these cats are not kids by any stretch of the imagination, what ebbs from your speakers sounds original young and fresh, especially on the opening track “Soon Enough,” an floorboard splintering number that sets the pace for the entire album.

Other songs such as “Hide Behind A Smile” will harken back to those dreamy harmonic attitudes that The Beatles delivered on Rubber Soul, while “Wilson General Store” and “Hate Won’t Win” will have you missing Tom Petty, and behind it all seems to be the frail ghost of Brian Wilson overseeing every note and enunciation, especially on “That Thing That You Called Love.” So please don’t go wasting any time, go find yourself a copy, dig out a folding beach chair, and get lost in a wayward drifting cloud.

– Jenell Kesler

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