Cameron Picton has offered a double meaning with this post-Black Midi project. My New Band Believe implies the group has a belief in something, but it could also just be the name. Either way, it’s that Windmill Scene-adjacent stylishness that Picton’s former bandmate, Geordie Greep, has pulled in an opposite direction. No twee tones from Greep, but the parts of this self-titled effort from Picton’s My New Band Believe project have much in common with the search for comfort in dissonance. Plucky, light string sections on opening song Target Practice are punctuated by a misplaced note, a sudden end to the calm waters. It’s an emotional swell that Picton makes clear is on a knife’s edge throughout this album. My New Band Believe has a tremendous energy to it, an ever-evolving instrumental that will keep most guessing as to where the album is headed. Good. Picton is a master of that, but took longer than his former bandmate to get a result.
What Picton relies on throughout this project is an audience’s interest in dissonance. You can hear it clearly on opener Target Practice, a test of the waters before the venomous lyrical intent and lighter flourish of In the Blink of an Eye. Both sound like welcome additions to the alternative art rock scene, the full bloom of such a sub-genre these last few years has been a delight. My New Band Believe slots right into place, but its comfort in doing so means the cacophony, the contrast between harsh feelings and softer sounds, is expected. Picton must work harder then, and does, to stand out. In the Blink of an Eye ends with such a jarring moment of instrumental excess. It’s all about contrast. A Joseph Conrad nod with Heart of Darkness offers up an eight-minute opus, Picton’s high point for My New Band Believe. It’s an intoxicating experience built on subtleties, the occasional clang and clash of a cymbal here, harmonising there. But the swell and sudden stop, like A Day in the Life by The Beatles, feels inevitable.
Songs like Love Story and Pearls feature that unique beauty Picton provides. He can offer up a nuanced and subtle reimagining of the most obvious notations. Pearls, especially, has a chilling feel to it which many may be surprised by. Opposite Teacher, too. It’s all a profile of disparity and Picton never quite goes for the jugular when working on these songs. He evades the killing blow by halting the song in its tracks, to break into a swathe of genres. Subtle, almost silent folk accompaniments on Opposite Teacher prevent the track from detailing some broader purpose, and in its intention, there is a satisfying comment from Picton on the suddenness of the end. It’s a sharp moment from Picton, one that defines the album more than Heart of Darkness, sheerly from how bold a choice it is. An assured release to say the least, though that decision to remove those finalities comes back to bite Picton.
There’s much to love about the string-reliant sections but there’s only so much you can do with them in the context of My New Band Believe. Either it swells or it sinks the song. There’s some gutsy moments which never feel all that connected to the rest of the project. Actress filters through such a wide array of ideas that it feels more like a piecemeal jam than a song with a clear purpose. Still, it sounds good. That’s all that matters. Picton has a wildly interesting voice. He manages to emulate his influences while keeping them at arm’s length, for the sake of maintaining his special brand of cryptic, alternative style. It’s the alternative that’s becoming mainstream for those looking in the right places, though, and what it means for Picton is that he has landed an album right before the peak of the genre. One of many, and one that will stand out.
