My New Band Believe review – beautiful ideas burst from ex-Black Midi man’s lovable debut album
Why it matters: Cameron Picton's new album establishes a distinct musical direction for the ex-Black Midi bassist.
- Cameron Picton's debut album with My New Band Believe is an entirely acoustic work, featuring fingerpicked guitar, double bass, piano, percussion, and string arrangements.
- The album largely abandons the fantastical lyrics of Black Midi for more direct themes, exploring revenge in 'Target Practice,' lost domesticity in 'Love Story,' and fatherhood in 'Opposite Teacher.'
- Geordie Greep's 2024 solo debut, The New Sound, maintained Black Midi's characteristic maximalist style, offering a stark contrast to Picton's more subtle approach.
- My New Band Believe's sound, though understated and more melodic than Black Midi, still incorporates episodic and strange elements, with arrangements that can turn dissonant, suggesting a nuanced take on subtlety.
Cameron Picton, formerly of Black Midi, debuts his new project, My New Band Believe, with an eponymous album that offers a stark acoustic contrast to his previous band's maximalist sound. While Black Midi frontman Geordie Greep's solo work continues their signature sonic smorgasbord, Picton's album leans into the understated, melodic, and episodic style hinted at in Black Midi's 'Still,' albeit with its own brand of strangeness and occasional dissonance.
