Farmer Dave Scher
(Kemado)
The photos of Farmer Dave that are on the Kemado website look nothing like the long-haired guy who bent the pedal steel strings for Beachwood Sparks nearly a decade ago. Has Scher given up on that Southern California lifestyle for something a bit more ...domestic or staid? Not a chance Since the All Night Radio record that Sub Pop released in 2004 (Scher and other B.S. member Jimi Hey) Scher has remained relatively quiet but this Flash Forward to the Good Times record proves he's not even close to running out of ideas.
Only 9 songs here but the record is an interesting mix of some Motown soul (title track), Bacharachian pop ("We Have a Way") and even some dub ("You Pick Me Up"). The record is a bit uneven in parts but Scher is at his strongest when doing the orchestrated pop thing so it's no surprise that he got help from former Pernice Bros. maestro, Thom Monahan, who definitely worked some of his magic here. "Our Love is a Wave" is another strong ‘60s pop number and the final cut, "Surf Out Sunset" is a sumptuous pop feast that you'll wish would go on forever. With Flash Forward to the Good Times Scher has proved he can do it on his own and next time out, if he can trim the fat just a bit ,he may be in the big leagues. As it stands now, he's really close to getting called up.
Standout Tracks: "We Have a Way", "Our Love is a Wave", "Surf Out Sunset" TIM HINELY
