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THE BLACK WATCH John Fredrick, Black Watch’s lone constant, launched his California group in 1988 via his homegrown Eskimo imprint. Since, he’s recorded for a litany of labels including Not Lame, Stonegarden and Zero Hour, often with frustrating results. So on the occasion of the Black Watch’s 20th anniversary, Fredrick revived Eskimo in a bid for across-the-board artistic control. The move was astute. The immensely enjoyable Icing The Snow Queen is blessed by all the familiar band hallmarks (brainy-yet-romantic lyrics, folky dream pop leavened by searing fret buzz) and powered by uncommonly meaty arrangements and production. The opening title track signposts this newly aggressive Black Watch. In a voice reminiscent of the Go-Betweens’ Robert Forster, Fredrick puns his way through a series of frigidity and death metaphors as a swirl of distorted/backward guitars erupts atop an insistent, Feelies/Velvets-like pulse. Several other tracks follow this model (the psychedelic “On Another Plane” almost ventures into My Bloody Valentine territory), and there are enough downtempo (Beatlesque ballad “Peppermint”) and acoustic (the English folk stylings of “Quite Contrary”) moments to ensure a crucial dynamic flow for Icing The Snow Queen. [Eskimo, www.theblackwatchmusic.com] —Fred Mills
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