Bleep

Despite having been busy running PJ Harvey’s backing band and producing recent records for This Is The Kit, Nadine Khouri and Aldous Harding, John Parish has still found time to get together a record of his own. Bird Dog Dante is a lovely collection that switches up its style at the halfway point. Parish’s knack for folksy rock ditties ala Eels proves in good nick on the likes of ‘Type 1’, ‘Rachel’ and ‘Sorry For Your Loss’, the latter of which is a duet with his old mate Harvey. However, on the B-side he eschews these more linear songs for spare, impressionistic ambiences. Utilising synthesisers, piano, percussion and pockets of noise, the effect is akin to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Skeleton Tree with the vocals stripped out. Parish reconciles both sides of his sound on closer ‘The First Star’.