He launched his solo career in the late 1990s, but ever since,
Brant Bjork has been all about the early '70s. And on his seventh full-length overall, 2010's
Gods & Goddesses, this has never been more apparent -- from the immaculate, third-generation Buick Riviera that
Bjork and a lovely lady are sitting in on the cover, to
Bjork's fashion sense (
Cheech & Chong circa Los Cochinos). But especially, it's the music that resides on the disc that's a dead giveaway.
Bjork has always been about the groove (à la latter-day
Jimi Hendrix, early
Santana, early
El Chicano, etc.), and rather unsurprisingly, this is the same musical terrain he trods upon throughout
Gods & Goddesses. Although he has enlisted the help of an outside producer for his latest, (
Ethan Allen, whose credits include
the 88 and
Luscious Jackson),
Bjork's '70s vision and approach remain completely intact, especially on such laid-back and groovy numbers as the album-opener "Dirty Bird," as well as "Porto." Elsewhere,
Bjork and company kick out the rock on "The Future Rock (We Got It)" and "Good Time Bonnie," and even get a bit jammy on "Somewhere Some Woman." But unlike quite a few bands that look to the '70s for inspiration, perhaps it's
Bjork's punk rock roots that prevent any meandering musical detours, as the album clocks in at a tidy 32 minutes. But even in a short amount of time,
Bjork certainly gets his point across, and will still manage to take you on a magic carpet ride back to the days of lava lamps, bell bottom trousers, incense, and black-light posters. ~ Greg Prato