The Scope

Track Review: “Stretch-a-Sketch” by AE Bridger

From I am a Ghostly Leech (2008)
St. John’s, NL
soundclick.com/bands/aebridger

Alison Corbett: Neurologist Oliver Sacks writes that, although rare, many of his patients report having musical hallucinations. His patients often refer to the hearing recordings in their head as played on their “intercranial jukebox.” I can only marvel at how Bridger has managed to free the hits from his intercranial jukebox, but it’s definitely coming through loud and clear. Quite remarkable, to say the least.

Dave Sullivan: Imagine the Dead Milkmen were undead—that’s what it seemed like for the first minute of this song. Then, in fact, me and Song fell in love. But after a while me and Song lost interest in each other. There were tears. We hugged, and then the moment Song was out of earshot I shat all over him. I cut Song up in front of my friends. “Song? I knows Song,” I’d say, “he’s a dirty shagger!” Then one day, I was walkin’ down the road and I started hummin’… do you know what I was hummin’? You guessed it. I guess Song wasn’t as bad as I thought. I learned a valuable lesson that day.

Sean Panting: At first I thought I was listening to a ghetto blaster recording of some regular old band, but that was back when I was missing the point. Its appeal grows fridge fungus. On repeated listens I like the freaky Syd Barrett back half better than the Captain Beefheart meets the Specials bit, but that’s just me.

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