GREG CAMP: Smash Mouth guitarist debut a dizzing ride
ARTIST: Greg Camp
CD: “Defektor” (Bar-None/Seavolt)
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/gregcamp
Not surprisingly, the debut from Smash Mouth guitarist/songwriter Greg Camp is a dizzying ride through a mélange of styles, each one executed with ear-pleasing accuracy.
From the opening instrumental, a Herb Alpert/Calexico surf/spaghetti Western quickie aptly titled “Introduktion,” Camp takes a tour through, well, music of the past few decades. Mutant forms of pop serve as the main course, but the influences are often assimilated so subtly that you’ll be hard-pressed to single them out.
Horn accents add punch to the tuneful minor-keyed rock-pop of “The Maid,” a tale of intrigue that recalls themes and melodies from Eno’s “Taking Tiger Mountain.” “Cat’s Game” ably echoes ’80s Brit pop, while the banjo on “Zombies on Parade” adds some interesting aural confusion to the sci-fi keys and bouncy rhythm section. “Gina Marie,” a near-perfect pop song filled with all manners of production flourishes, starts delving into Smash Mouth territory, albeit more laid back — which definitely feels like Camp’s comfort zone.
“Rot with You” is a twisted love song a la Fountains of Wayne, but it’s “Beautiful Disaster,” a return to the pop-spy motif that, to my ear, suits Camp to a tee. The title track closes the 14-song set with a blistering surf instrumental that would make Dick Dale proud.
While the material is wildly diverse, there’s an intrepid sense of fun, camp (pun intended) and adventure — and Camp manages to leave his calling card throughout.
