Nothing Painted Blue

Nothing Painted Blue

Taste The Flavor

Shrimper

*** Taste The Flavor, Nothing Painted Blue's sixth full-length, brings together the veteran Inland Empire trio for 13 songs that are louder, looser, and stranger than their previous reputation. Recorded at Tucson, Arizona's famed Wavelab by Craig Schumacher (Giant Sand, Calexico, Neko Case), most of the disc emphasizes performance and feel over elaborately overdubbed arrangements - opener "One Who Fell" and epic closer "Swansong" capture the band's confident interactions as well as any studio recording can. This is NPB's least restrained and most varied album, ranging from the touching pop ("Back in Town," with Schumacher's harmonica solo) and angular speedballs ("Emphasis") you'd expect, though a Stones-y riff-rocker ("A Longer Leash," complete with cowbell), and an acoustic dub excursion ("Dry Spell"). Frontman Franklin Bruno's sharp-witted lyrics and emotionally engaged vocals are still in place, but they're augmented by newfound guitar firepower, and tough, no-bullshit rhythm arrangements by drummer Kyle Brodie and bassist Peter Hughes.  Nothing Painted Blue can play fast and loose with the indie-rock rulebook - and even throw it out, when they like - because they helped write it. They've released albums and singles on several of key '90s labels - Scat/Matador, ShimmyDisc/KokoPop, Simple Machines, and current home Shrimper -- and have shared bills with everyone from Beck to Tortoise, from Beat Happening to The Jesus Lizard. Formed in 1987 by Upland High School buddies Bruno and Brodie, plus original bassist Mike Neelon, they released A Baby, A Blanket, A Packet of Seeds in 1990 on their own...

Nothing Painted Blue

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