VILLAGE GORILLA HEAD (3 stars)

By Alan Sargeant [Crud Magazine]
(August, 2004)

Every now and again some former alt-rock icon for a generation decides to shed the whimsical manacles of curiosity that defined their existence in favour of returning to basics. Black Francis did this. Krist Novoselic did it. Tanya Donnelly continues to do it to this day. So what is it about shaking off all those queer, eclectic variables in favour of three-chord country fundamentality? Why do the unacceptable visionaries of this world insist on digging out their old Dylan records and going all straight?

Founder member of seminal 80’s alt-rock band The Replacements and key Nirvana influence, Tommy Stinson does indeed cross that bridge on five-years-in-the-making solo album, Village Gorilla Head, but for every half-arsed, generic nod in the direction of trad-rockers like Dylan, Tom Petty and the Stones (‘Hey You’, ‘Without A View’, ‘Something Wrong’, ‘Bite Your Tongue’, ‘Not A Moment Too Soon’) there’s a quirky, psychedelic glance in the direction of The Verve, Cracker and The Happy Mondays (‘OK’, ‘Light Of Day’, ‘Someday’) and The Clash (‘Couldn’t Wait’ , ‘Motivation’). He might have all the pleading vocal appeal of The Alarm’s Mike Peters but much of this album mirrors the quite credible output of wordy country misfits, The Mendoza Line and dub popsters like Grand National and the Beta Band (check out, title track ‘Village Gorilla Head’ if you’re in any doubt).

Whether or not Stinson is able to fend off the ongoing interests of current employer Axl Rose is anyone’s guess – but judging by this handsome and astonishingly fresh collection of songs is anything to go by – he’s more than capable of furrowing his own niche in the world.