Village Gorilla Head - Top this, Axl

by Brian Baker [Zia Records]
(August 2004)

Many of the same folks who bestowed divinity upon Paul Westerberg during his tenure with the Replacements now unjustly malign his fascinating solo career. The post-Mats endeavors of bassist Tommy Stinson have been under no such scrutiny, allowing him the luxury to take chances. This backstory goes a long way toward explaining everything from the occasional brilliance of Stinson projects Bash & Pop and Perfect to his involvement in the spectacular non-event that may someday be Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy.

Given this history, it’s odd that Stinson’s first album under his own name is apparently risk-free. But though Village Gorilla Head offers up the Stonesy, indie-blues swagger that marked the latter day ’Mats, Stinson does depart from that blueprint, adding an infectious Beatle-esque melodicism, particularly on the wistfully powerful opener "Without a View" and the propulsive "Something’s Wrong." There are moments where Stinson dips and jabs like Anthony Kiedis ("Bite Your Tongue"), others that briefly revisit the glorious punk fury of his most famous incarnation ("Couldn’t Wait") and a couple of odd entries that break up the sonic terrain (the electrolounge title cut and the atmospheric "Light of Day"). For the most part, Stinson peels off classic rock riffs and bows in the direction of the Stones songbook, but he does it well, with enough personal style to keep from sounding derivative. Village Gorilla Head is simultaneously referential and reverential—a subtle technique Tommy Stinson has been using since he was a 12-year-old bass player in one of the greatest punk ass bands of all time.