MR. ENCRYPTO Secret
Identity Crisis (Silent Bugler)
Last time out, Bruce Gordon, in the guise of DC Comics villain Eclipso, treated classic rock fans to astonishing simulacrums of such 60s luminaries as the Doors, the Move, the Hollies, the Beach Boys and the Association.
Now calling himself Mr. Encrypto, after the legal department of DC Comics came a-calling, Gordon’s latest release is a welcome addition to the jangle-pop canon where the ghosts of the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield & the Band are headily evoked.
Double-take at the Neil Young-inflected “Rock and Roll Is Killing Me (Softly)" with its companion piece “Rock and Roll Is Killing Me (Loudly)”, marvel at the clearly Roger McGuinn inspired countrified rocker “Silence is Poison” and thrill to the rustic psychedelic “Another Good Year” as Gordon and co-producer Earle (Sparks) Mankey prove that it is possible to pay tribute to the magical 60s and yet remain creative and relevant.
Like its predecessor, Crisis features a couple of well-executed covers like the Kinks’ “Dreams” (from the Percy soundtrack), the Apples in Stereo’s “Silver Chain” (from Tone Soul Revolution), the Small Faces’ “I Feel Much Better” (from There Are But Four Small Faces) and the Byrds’ “Get To You” (from The Notorious Byrds Brothers) which fit in perfectly in the scheme of things and indicated that Gordon certainly has the power of pop flowing through every fibre of his being. Indeed! A
