Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The O'Haras - Bulls And Beans
 | It's always an adventure when a new O'Haras CD arrives. An adventure, and a pleasure. their unique approach to instrumentals includes an intriguing combination of influences and original thought. Surf, ska, mariachi, spy, and more. |
Picks: Muppets, Want Some Beans?, Stop=Rewind, Triton, Rumbakker, Soldaten, Special 3, Qui Sait Pourquoi?, Whats Seems To Be?, Muna Luna, Das Erover, The Girl From Ipanema
Track by Track Review
TV Theme (Instrumental)
Yup, silly Muppetry briefly opens the CD with horns and banjo and bass and drums. Short and fun!
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
Rudely opening, but swiftly marching into Spanish hornland with guitar and a rollicking beat, "Want Some Beans?" is a mighty infectious song with an ear on an open highway traveling South. The chop guitar chords are cool, and the whole thing just rocks with a lighthearted sway.
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
Rising impatiently from dark chorded progressions, "Stop=Rewind" is a relentless and escalating adventure in rhythm and danger.
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
"Triton" is a fascinating track, with an almost Mexican folk beat and bass line, a ska rhythm guitar, sorta ska-like lead horns, and a sub surf guitar that plays a verse or two double picked. The combo is very infectious, leaving you wanting another listen. Very cool!
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
On the fast side, "Rumbakker" sports a whistling organ trading the melody duty with double picked surf guitar. By the time the horns come in, you don't care what the genre is, it's just plain cool.
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
Nervous and speedy double picked guitar and sirens launch "Soldaten" into a frenzy of frayed nerves and relentless energy. Thick at times, dangerous at others, it's a fine track with some big whammy chords and an uneasy feeling.
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
Lumbering slowly with the eerie sound of impending doom, "Special 3" is unusually structured and unnerving. Maybe like a soundtrack to that recurrent nightmare you can't ever quite remember.
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
Feedback howls shrilly until a Pink Panther-ish quirkiness takes over. Again with an unusual take on the music, the O'Haras have created an intriguing track with double picked guitar and a nearly polka beat and ska rhythms and horn. Very nice!
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
"Whats Seems To Be?" is a whole new inversion of the idea behind Lalo Schiffrin's "Mission Impossible." Think mariachi surf spy, and then mesh that with intrigue and mystery.
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
Heavy thump and gutty guitar starts it out, then relinquishes control to a riff driven instro that features riffs that hint of a number of surf classics without being derivative. More rhythmic and riffy than melodic, but pretty powerful in a rock kind of way.
Horn Surf (Instrumental)
"Das Erover" is a pretty song with a very endearing, if slightly sad, melody. Vibrato shimmer, a kind of emotional Italian profoundness that goes right to the heart. Dramatic without being sappy.
Bizarre Jazz (Instrumental)
Filling ut the disc, but unlisted on the artwork, is an almost silly version of the Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto classic "The Girl From Ipanema." It's just bizarre enough to be very endearing.