Multi-instrumentalist Pete Bentley hails from Blackburn, in the northwest of England. He’s brought his guitar, vocal, keyboard and saxophone talents to a number of different bands. The album Headlock, recorded as Troy Bentley, is his first solo release.
For the album, Bentley included appearances by his brother Tony (drums) and his sister Kathy (piano) on one track each. Tony also produced the album art, based on his sculpture “Black Dog;” the black dog makes a lyrical appearance in the title track as well. Everything else is Pete, from writing, to performance, engineering, and mixing. The album kicks off with a question – ”what time is it?” This is answered by the first three parts of “Tick Tock,” an instrumental soundscape with shimmering keyboards under soaring, long-note guitar work, much like a classic Pink Floyd track. The track morphs into a groove tune driven by pulsing bass work – a good preview of some of the later tracks – before cutting into Part IV, a darker, mid tempo vocal number driven by acoustic guitar. Bentley asks his subject if he’s taken the time to live (apparently not, yet), but finishes with a message of hope (“There’s still time for hope now / There’s still time for change”). In a nice musical touch, Part IV references keyboard parts from Parts I-III, helping with album coherence. The dark feel continues with “Headlock,” a track that’s a cross between ‘70s funk and heavier guitar work. The lyrics here introduce images from nature and evoke some mysticism, which will be a recurring theme over the next few tracks. For vocals, Bentley chooses to speak, more than sing the lyrics. “The Black Crow Cries” has a similar vocal approach – there’s no real main melody, although the backing vocals offer some. This makes the tracks a little less memorable, unfortunately. “Witch Land,” though, combines the best elements of “Headlock” and “The Black Crow Cries” and leads us to a happier, almost soaring chorus. It’s the first bit of levity on the album, and it lands as a refreshing relief. Kathy Bentley’s piano is a nice touch, too. The melodies continue on the funk-tinged “Family”, and help elevate the track. “High Noon (The Queens of Clubs)” has cool keyboard parts and the best drum breaks on the record, straight out of the Steve Wonder canon. The instrumental “Road” was my favorite of the eight tracks. The bass-and-piano groove works well, as do the horn parts. It paints a nice picture, and could fit as a part of a classic Hollywood movie score. The atmospheric sounds are a nice coda. Headlock is a solid offering. It’s dark and gothic in parts, but offers enough optimism to balance. Bentley’s instrumental performances work well, and the album sounds great. When his writing is focused on vocal melody, he crafts some memorable tunes, too. I look forward to hearing what he brings us next.
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