Album Notes

Greek philosopher Heraclitus said a long time ago, "Nothing endures but change." Change may be the one constant in the life of The Black Watch. From line-ups to labels, The Black Watch have experienced change, and continue to evolve, adapt, and prosper.

This summer, The Black Watch is releasing the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Jiggery-Pokery on Stonegarden Records. This new effort, Very Mary Beth, though sans-J'Anna-Jacoby, is the ideal next step for this long-standing indie band. Each song creates a different mood- from yearning to hopefulness, dark to light. The sound has been compared to indie rock legends The Cure and seminal band My Bloody Valentine. Fredrick's lyrics are characteristically stimulating and candid, a la Nick Drake.

Very Mary Beth begins with a dreamy ballad and then takes the listener on an emotional journey, ending with a happy, jangly love song. Because of the departure of Fredrick's musical and romantic partner Jacoby, some tracks, like "Bitter Getting Better," and "Kick," demonstrate the bleaker side of The Black Watch.

Conversely, there are some very optimistic songs such as "Mary Beth," "The Girl of My Dreams," and "Beautiful" that brighten the record and add a whimsical twist. Altogether, the instrumentation and tone of Very Mary Beth create an album in which to lose oneself.