Buddah On The Moon
The Last Autumn Day
Drive-In / Wurlitzer Jukebox / farrágo

Buddah On The Moon (BOTM) seems to be a very secret project from Texas. Based in Houston they play music I guess most people don't associate with this cowboy-state. BOTM sounds like they have picked up most of their inspiration from having listened to English folk-pop. And don't let their name misguide you, because they're not as far out as the name implies.

The Last Autumn Day, which happen to be their 2nd full length album, opens very peacefully with the song Stratospheric (actually the title of their 1st album). It sort of establish the atmosphere, or dare I say, stratosphere. BOTM seem to let the wind carry their sound, as they're sounding incredibly light and elegant. Like they're gliding away in the sky, surrounded by fluffy cloud-balls. The album also includes a cover song; Which Will by Nick Drake (from his Pink Moon album). BOTM do a slower version of this song, with slightly electric parts not to be found in the original. Indeed a nice version of a great song (by a great artist!) it is. Crèpe Paper Airplane and Glider appear in the same versions as on the Wurlitzer Jukebox single.

If I was to name some bands to describe the music of BOTM I'd mention the NY one-man-band East River Pipe, and maybe also Stephen Merritt's Magnetic Fields. Even the Scot-gang Belle & Sebastian comes to mind. Fragile dream-pop, with reverberation and other effects. Highly effective if you aren't having a good day, f.i. after a wild and late-late party. BOTM is the right stuff to make you feel human and civilised again. The best tracks are Ordinary Sky and The Esplanade, along with the two songs from the W.J. 7" mentioned above. A liner-note quote from the (sparse on information) cover sheet describes this album quite clearly:

"...wings that flutter, colour the heavens above..."

To be a bit harsh, I could say the songs now and then are sounding a bit too nice and kind. Anyway, xylophones are way cool. "Houston, I really don't have any problems!"

Copyright © 1998 Håvard Oppøyen