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REVIEWS:
Love
Is The Best Con In Town
New York Night Train Recordings, 2006
Kansas City Star
Bill Whitten of Grand Mal has maintained the appearance of running
a real rock ’n’ roll band. On “Love Is the
Best Con in Town,” it’s clear that the show is his.
Sure, there’s a 22-member supporting cast that contributes
to these sessions, but the focus throughout is on Whitten’s
languid, piano-based balladry. His entire aesthetic springs
from the sounds of the early 1970s. His music references Bowie’s
“Hunky Dory,” the Velvet Underground’s “Loaded”
and Todd Rundgren’s early solo sessions. It also echoes
Big Star and such lesser-knowns as Hackamore Brick.
The
few rockers have a Mott the Hoople vibe. There are just enough
of them to give “Best Con” some much needed variety.
Imagine a dour Ben Kweller or a less suburban Ben Folds, if
you’re looking for contemporary comparisons. Whitten’s
not as goofy as either of those chaps, and, for the most part,
his tales of wounded love and New York street life radiate a
beguiling, timeless charm.
- Steve
Wilson
