Review: Havin’ Fun, Soundin’ Good (Self-Released), DJ Johnson, Cosmik Debris, Apr. 10, 2004.
The album begins with a thick-toned instrumental surf number full of energy, nothing earth shattering or that will send thousands of kids to the guitar store, but I’m talkin’ about the kind of tune that makes you slip your shades on and drive a little faster than the legal limit. Ah, but this isn’t a surf band, per se, and the second track “Metronome,” reintroduces Hieronymus Bosch as a gang of rockers with a fondness for the trappings of 60s garage. Almost hidden in all the power and bluster are some sloppy moments that would be more of an eyebrow raiser if not for the garage ethic. I wouldn’t say they necessarily “make the sloppy moments work,” but they’re minor, few, and more than made up for by the pure fun of rest of the album. The band takes their name from Hieronymus Bosch, the Dutch surrealist painter of the 1400s best known for a glorious work of art titled Garden of Earthly Delights. That hasn’t got too much bearing on this review, but it’s interesting to note that when you listen to something like “The Movie Director” you feel their unbridled “let it be what it becomes” creativity, and the thing is magical. A garden of musical delights. There are only 8 songs (25 minutes) on this album, but it’s high quality and highly recommended.