It’s always a good day when Fuzz Club are back in my inbox with their latest release. This time it’s the turn of multi-instrumentalist Stanley Belton aka Black Market Karma. I’ve been following Belton on social media for a while now. I really enjoy his short form videos featuring small portions of songs in development. Wobble will be Belton’s eleventh album. Yes. Eleventh! This prolific musician writes, performs, records, produces and up until now self-releases everything from his own live-in ‘Cocoon’ studio. His ear for a catchy hook and a majestic melody are renowned in psyche circles so it’s only right and proper his songs get the full vinyl treatment.
The albums title refers to tape wobble / wow and flutter, subtle fluctuations in pitch characteristic of analogue recording equipment. Here’s what Belton has to say about this.
“Sonically, I wanted the album to feel like a collection of discarded and worse for wear instruments came to life, refurbished themselves and started to play. The sound is an attempt to give form to the often-formless feeling that is nostalgia. With songs attempting to crystallise a feeling known as ‘fernweh’. A kind of longing for a place and time you’ve never experienced, be it in this world or another.”
“As formats evolved these characteristics were slowly phased out but with this album, I was aiming to put them back in through different methods of sound degradation, reaching for a sweet spot where the sound had a lo-fi flavour but with the punch of a higher quality recording.”
I’m a hopeless nostalgic so this album should be right up my street. Let’s drop the needle and see what’s what.
We open proceedings with the psychedelic swirl of ‘Mushy Conscience’. There’s a lovely mish mash of Beatles sounding mellotron and more modern whooshes and trills. Interspersing it all an acoustic guitar motif that just sets the whole thing off. One word description from me would be glorious. One track in and I’m grinning ear to ear.
Next up ‘Oozer’ gives us the first taste of Belton’s dulcet tones. Based around a cycle of three chords he somehow makes this sound like a sonic journey. Theres a great use of dynamics bringing the lysergic sounds in and out again leaving only his laid-back drawl and that signature acoustic guitar. On what the song is about Belton says “Oozer is about being malleable and adaptive to life as it’s coming at you. Holding close what you believe to be true while also being open to new information and techniques. Liquid moving around an obstacle instead of going through. It’s also about recycling negative mental states through the pursuit of things you enjoy, and repurposing them as a kind of positive fuel.”
Check out the video to the song here.
‘Lead Laces’ has a modern folk feel with a heartfelt vocal delivery from Belton. The lo-fi synth lines add an extra texture that lifts this song to another level. Make no mistake though it’s the guitar that defines the melody and drives the song forward. There’s a real warmth to this song that works its way into your heart.
That Beatles mellotron sound is back for ‘Waterbaby’. Like some updated 60’s lost psychedelic classic Belton knows what buttons to push and levers to pull to get the nostalgia going. This is a lovely musical interlude and keeps the SMiLes coming.
After a dead stop, we launch into the surreally title ‘Sonic Broth Soul Taster’. This is a really playful and youthful sounding track. The autoharp sounding strums make me think of some lost 80’s kids TV theme. You can tell Belton is having so much fun pulling this together. You can just imagine him, like some musical wizard, throwing another instrument into his cauldron of chaos.
‘Puddle Eyed Sponger’ follows. What’s notable here is that the song is structured around a synth part way up in the higher register with the bass lurching about full of intent in the lower register. This leaves loads of space in the middle for the vocals and cosmic guitar solo. I really enjoy how this guy makes music.
Belton ramps up the epic levels next with ‘Going on Easy’. Starting like a soporific lullaby until a supercharged fuzz bass kicks in and we are off. The drums sound massive but somehow the initial guitar melody still cuts through the mix. This fair gets the blood pumping, there’s nothing like a slow builder to get the dander up.
We chill out again on ‘Thin Wild Mercury’: a mid-tempo stomp. The trade off between the vocal and guitar melodies is really satisfying, particularly in the changes. The glue holding it all together the vintage keyboard drone bringing the nostalgia to the fore.
‘The Din of an Ending’ sends us back down that 70’s folk route. The picked guitar melody is sublime, especially against the moody vocal delivery. I’m getting Fairport Convention vibes at times however the drum machine keeps me with one foot firmly in the present.
‘Olive’ is a short instrumental interlude. A wobbly tone poem that has an introspective feel. Like a moment of quiet thought.
We’re soon on into ‘The Death Throes of Nuance’ it’s another chilled walk through the mind of our songwriter. The pace of the song allows for a hypnotic effect to build as the song loops round and round under Belton’s low-key vocals.
The album comes to a close with the stoned groove of ‘Stepping Loose’. Its like the theme tune for some lost 70’s detective show set on the moors above a quaint fishing village somewhere. At times we almost veer off into funk territory. This is the perfect way to round out this groovy album.
‘Wobble’ has proven to be an instant hit with me. Repeated listens only endear the album further to me. This is a truly timeless album that hits those nostalgic notes whilst maintaining its own place in time. By tapping into that nostalgia everyone who listens to this album is going to be transported off to their own adventures based on their own memories. That is a wonderful gift to give your listener and for me the measure of our guide and musical magician. Thanks Mr B.
‘Wobble’ is the first of a two-part album series and is due for release on Fuzz Club Records on July 26th 2024.
You can follow Black Market Karma on social media here…
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