The Bullet Catcher's Apprentice EP

After several excellent releases by Two Lone Swordsmen member Keith Tenniswood (as Radioactive Man), we finally hear output from the other half of this talented duo, Andrew Weatherall's debut EP of original material: THE BULLET CATCHER'S APPRENTICE.

Things start off on the right foot with the opener "Feathers". This track shares writing credits with Tenniswood, and might have well been a holdover from the prior Swordsmen album From the Double Gone Chapel, yet is anything but throwaway. This track follows closely with the best instrumental tracks from CHAPEL, featuring bass, guitars and live drums to give the track a raw, plugged-in "Rock" feel to it. The gritty textures of "La Sirena" and the light strum of "Edie Eleven" follows along similar lines in using a guitar to deliver the memorable hooks, both backed by the classic Swordsmen electronic excellence.

"You Can't Do Disco (Without a Strat)" places Weatherall back into relatively straightforward techno territory. It's hard to not get caught up in the energy of the track when those first few seconds of beat hit the speakers. Unfortunately, Weatherall employs the one music element for this song that I have not warmed up to yet, his singing. Unlike the vocals on the CHAPEL material, "Disco" is more tongue-in-cheek, and his Industrial/Goth tone (paired with the cheesy female lead chorus) comes across more camp than creepy. Listen out for the New Order-ish baseline that hums beneath the verse sections of this song.

The remix of "Disco" that closes this EP is so radically divorced from it's source material it could be counted as a new composition. This sparse "re-working" slows the tempo and uses a percussion comprised of a deep bass and gentle clicking sounds. These elements, paired with the faint eerie keyboard work, succeeds best of all the tracks here in delivering a clear sense of mood, and a darkly ominous one at that. This track could fit nicely on the Swordsmen album Peppered With Spastic Magic.

Wether Andrew Weatherall's BULLET CATCHER is a sampler for the musical direction the Swordsmen might take next remains to be heard. I tend to think not, since most of the material on this CD isn't covering any new ground from what has been heard from either member before. A near-perfect collection, this is a highly enjoyable release that any Swordsmen fan must own.