This is the debut album from the new duo Lloyd/Bean who are Robert Lloyd from The Nightingales with Janet Beveridge Bean of Eleventh Dream Day/Freakwater fame, they are joined by Mark Bedford from the Near Jazz Experience and Peter Byrchmore of The Nightingales and The Membranes alongside Pablo Roda on drums. Black Cat, Dark Horse was recorded in Valencia Spain.
The album opens with the title tune Black Cat, Dark Horse that's a brooding country rock duet that sounds like a less screwed up George Jones and Tammy Wynette, the deep tones of Robert's vocals add a sad edge that may not be intentional, even though the album was written during lockdown.
Heavy Reckonings that was the main single from the album is a slow dark brooding song that sounds straighter and more conventional than most of Robert Lloyds music, this has the feel of a Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra style collaboration, as if they were sipping on some Summer Wine before singing this tale of the huge price that had to be paid.
Wake Up Baby is about shaking you into knowing what's going on, while get to having a good time together and not spending all your time on the hamster wheel of life. It's time to fall in love, go have a blast together as the spry jaunty beat drives this along.
Sweet Georgia Black is a down at heart slow country waltz, for a lover whose no longer around. Eggs And Bacon seems to be what these lovers want to cook for each other while sipping that jungle juice while sounding a bit like Slapp Happy.
Arc Of A Smile is a fragile barely there strum of a love song as Robert pours out his heart as Janet's backing vocals come in like an angelic choir.
Take A Giant Step is as upbeat as they get on this jaunty countrypolitan pop song encouraging us to not follow the crowd and do your own thing.
True Lover's Know And The Lie is a bitter reflection on the nature of True Love that edges towards being a murder ballad as we try to dry our eyes at what's been going on.
Tears Like Stars is a Jon Langford song that was the b-side of the single, it has a stripped back elegance with bitter regrets, while sounding like the album Jon Langford made with Kevin Coyne, as they try to work their way towards redemption and new beginnings.
One Shot has a dark Leonard Cohen rumble to it as we wonder just what the One Shot he needs really is as the almost Spaghetti Western or should it be Paella Western backing accentuates the lyrics.
The album closes with the coal black strains of Black Country that is far slower and sadder than David Bowies Black Country Rock ever was. Slowly we find out just what went so horribly wrong, the tears are shed as they try to deal with the Homophobic slurs in the Black Country while wondering who they are actually singing about.
Find Out More at https://lloydbean.bandcamp.com/album/black-cat-dark-horse?label=2337015836&tab=music https://www.facebook.com/tinyglobalproductions/
