By Daniel Graham
Hat On A
Bed's "Bampot" Is Pure Old-School Fun
The digital age has fundamentally
changed the music industry. But it hasn’t seemed
to change much about the seasoned musicians that
collectively go by Hat On A Bed.
The americana/roots rock trio, which
is helmed by veteran musician, songwriter, and
recording engineer Pat Byars and longtime friend and
bandmate Bob Worden, seems to have been playing things
relatively low-key over the last several years, with
minimal online presence and no live performances to
speak of (at least none that I could find any evidence
of). However, this is perhaps because the group
really has nothing to prove. Byars and Worden have
already enjoyed numerous successes since the pair
first began playing together in the 1970’s. Performing
as members of The Abuse, The Detonators, and First Man
On The Sun (among others) over the course of multiple
decades, they have experienced all the highs and lows
that come with chasing rockstardom and gone on to
enjoy fulfilling lives and careers. What motive
remains but to have fun?
And “fun” is exactly the word I would
use to describe “Bampot”, Hat On A Bed’s brand new
single, which they graciously sent Georgia Local
Spotlight a 7 inch/45 rpm vinyl pressing of at the
beginning of this year. With tongue-in-cheek
swagger and Tom Waits-esque gruffness, Worden’ vocals
describes the song’s subject - a charismatic,
hard-living vagabond whose antics often leave him
worse for wear, but who nevertheless seems to possess
a gift for attracting the opposite sex - between
sizzling, jangly guitar riffs that are punctuated by
tasteful, subdued, and nuanced drumming and held
together by the song’s artfully simple bassline.
In the accompanying homemade video
for the track, kitschy circus-themed animation and
low-rez footage of Byars singing along to the song in
what looks like his living room, an unfastened necktie
draped over his shoulders as he caresses his
microphone and laughs, further reinforce the single’s
playful, unpretentious vibe. You can watch the
video below:
The
single’s B side, “February Ghost” is a slow-burning folk
ballad that features touches of psychedelia (most notably
exemplified by the track’s intro, which consists only of
sustained chords played on what sounds like an old pump
organ and sparse, atmospheric percussion). The track’s
lyrics - in striking juxtaposition with the lighthearted
“Bampot” - tell of a deadly fire, and a protagonist who
“wakes up inside a nightmare”, finding himself disembodied
and floating over another unnamed character’s bed. Byars’
vocals, here, remind me of Johnny Cash - weathered, deep,
and delivered in an almost spoken-word manner in places.
Dark and surreal, “February Ghost” represents a
radically different, but equally enjoyable side of Hat On A
Bed.
A
true-to-the-art fully analog recording, another striking
features of this release is its warm, earthy sound.
Mixed to perfection on vintage gear and expertly
mastered, the rich, organic quality achieved by Byars and
co. for the 45 rpm pressing of “Bampot” is stunning - a rare
treat in an era where loudness and intense digital
compression is the standard in rock production.
