February Birthdays 
The Fathoms: Fathom This! (MuSick 2007)
I got an advance CD-R copy of this from MuSick a week ago, so I thought I’d share some of my impressions after listening to it at least once a day since then (and most of the days multiple times). This is the Fathoms’ LONG-awaited and eagerly anticipated third CD, their first in nine years. There have been occasional rumors through the years that its release was imminent, getting all of us fans very excited, always followed by... nothing. Until now!! Frankie Blandino is still on the lead, and Dave Scholl adds some amazing sax, but the rest of the band is all new. A few things that struck me about the CD immediately: 1) not nearly as much reverb as in the past (!!!); 2) much happier and lighter songs; 3) acoustic rhythm guitar on almost every song. Well, these three things signal quite a change from their first two albums (which pretty much all surf music fans know are among the very best of nineties surf). So, how does it stack up? I’d say it’s an absolutely fantastic album, despite departing from their signature dark, heavy-reverb sound. It’s the kinder, gentler Fathoms, possibly brought on by Frankie becoming a daddy to a girl (I think) since the last release - Cranky Frankie is transformed into Softie Frankie! I also heard from a couple of sources that Frankie has been listening to the Shadows quite a bit and they were a big influence on his more recent songwriting. I must say that I don’t really hear the Shadows in the songs, though - in general I’d say they sound a lot closer to the Ventures. But it’s not the first time an American player tried to sound like the Shadows and ended up sounding as the Ventures! 
The songs are ultimately very obviously Frankie’s. The guy is a brilliant songwriter, simply stunning (besides being a guitarist of extraordinary sensitivity and skill), with a unique style, and each song exhibits at least a few of his signature elements. The new band members are certainly capable but kinda anonymous sounding. Nevertheless, what matters are the songs, and their service to the songs is commendable. The other small disappointment is that Dave only plays solos (and only on about five or six of the fourteen songs) and doesn’t add to the songs otherwise. He’s clearly just a guest here rather than a full-fledged member. Finally, the production is extremely clean but warm, appropriate to the overall mood of the songs, allowing them to sparkle and shine.
A song by song breakdown:
Fathom This! – a classic Fathoms track, reminiscent of "Race Against Time," with a beautiful moody melody, and a fantastic key modulation that screams Blandino! And a great sax solo, too!
Aqua Beat – happy surf! The song bounces along with lots of energy and an infectious melody, sounding a bit like something by Los Straitjackets (“State Fair,” maybe)
She’s the One – a beautiful, extremely melodic up-tempo piece sounding like Los Straitjackets’ “Isn’t Love Grand” – but better! 
Very Happy Very Ventures-esque, too.
The Palomino – a gorgeous, moody, spaghetti-western-ish song with an acoustic rhythm guitar and a remorseful-sounding trumpet
Castle Island Dream – An echoey lead guitar over an acoustic rhythm guitar playing a distinctly Blandino-esque melody (with some bone-simple piano parts added as a genius arranging touch) – nobody else could have written this song. Happy and bright, like a summer day when you’re in love, it’s my vote for the best track on the album. I just can’t get enough of it!! 
Dagger Bones – A more straight-forward mid-tempo surf track, with a longing, somewhat melancholy melody over an acoustic rhythm, and featuring a nice sax break.
Dark Secret – Surprisingly similar to the Aqua Velvets’ “Guitar Noir,” but still definitely the Fathoms. A beautiful slow track with a brooding and vaguely exotic melody (again over an acoustic rhythm guitar). Very enjoyable.
Leap Froggin’ – now, this is a surprise!! A jump-blues number with a Ventures-esque lead! Many swing elements in the rhythm section, with a super-cool, playful melody that Brian Setzer would have killed for. Some excellent, excellent rhythm guitar playing in the big-band-jazz style (I think by Frankie) behind the sax solo.
Mimi’s Theme – a pretty little number with a light bounce. Again sounding vaguely Los Straitjacket-ish.
Midway A-Go-Go – Goofy and fun go-go music that’s again similar to Los Straitjackets (see “Venturing Out”), but with a great turnaround twist. Sounding kinda like sixties game show music, too.
Panito – a Spanish melody over an acoustic guitar backing, starting off dark and sad and switching to a gorgeous major-key melody for the chorus. A great track, and again very typically Fathoms, especially when the sax comes in.
Pony Expresso – a vaguely Western sounding track with a vibrato-ed lead guitar over lightly galloping electric and acoustic rhythm guitars. (It reminds me of Los Straitjackets’ “Lonely Apache” a bit.)
Rat Bike – another surprise! A tribute to Davie Allan, with full blown fuzz - and even harmony fuzz - guitar! Frankie absolutely nails the Davie sound and melodic style, though the song itself feels somehow restrained.
Tail Waggin’ – More ‘60s game-show music, totally goofy and cheesy. A twin of “Hippo Hump” from “Overboard” (even the same sax style). This one does pretty much nothing for me, but I guess it’s not supposed to be taken too seriously.
The overall impression is of a sunny album that’s sure to brighten anyone’s day. Though I was initially somewhat disappointed to not hear more of the typical Fathoms sound and songs, now I think this was the right move – do something different, grow and branch out. Once I accepted that, I realized just how great this album really is. I think all of you will love it, too. All in all, the long-awaited return of the mighty Fathoms is an unqualified success! I'm sure glad to have them back. And let's hope we'll hear a lot more from them in the future.
(You can hear the title track and "The Palomino" by following the instructions in this thread.)
Ivan
(Edited by BN to fix encoding issues)
—Ivan
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Last edited: Apr 24, 2013 09:36:26
The sax is back on a few songs, and Dave Scholl again does a great job with that. The acoustic guitar is a nice touch too and not overdone.
