The Good Borne Of Bad Tymes

After over a decade as You Am I’s right-hand man, and two albums fronting retro-pop outfit The Pictures, the seemingly evergreen Davey Lane has taken the lone road with his debut solo release, The Good Borne Of Bad Tymes.

While these mainstay groups have seen Lane follow a fairly standard indie rock trajectory, with this solo project the musician has thrown a sonic curveball, and the result is five unique tracks that meld electro-pop, ’70s rock and ’60s psychadelia.

The first, “You’re The Cops, I’m The Crime” is the obvious standout. It’s a cosmic wonder-pop gem, full of crashing, descending notes, and a darkly dreamy chorus. Moody and romantic, it’s completely catchy and demands repeat listens.

As for the rest of the record, Lane’s daring falters and triumphs in equal measure. “Sinking May” feels strangely disconnected and empty despite being full of spacey synth, and “Comfortably Dumb” is illuminated briefly by an electrifying guitar solo but loses itself amongst its psychedelic pop rock ramblings.

“Ronnie And My Baby”, however, bristles with crunching guitar and rapid fire drums. It’s the most straight up rock and roll moment on the EP and injects a welcome dose of vivacity.

Likewise, the eight minute epic “You Got Me On Side” is captivating and melodic, a miasma of keyboards, synths, and a dose of disco, and sees Lane exploring music’s cerebral side.

Experimental and eclectic, the rest of the EP never quite catches up to the soaring heights of “You’re The Cops”, but hats off to Lane for daring to colour outside the lines.

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