Eric Avery - Help Wanted

Genre rock Publisher Dangerbird Records External Links Eric Avery Website

Eric Avery may be best known as the original bassist from alt rockers Jane's Addiction, but now might simply want to be known for being Eric Avery. His first solo release with Dangerbird Records is called Help Wanted and features Mr. Avery, as well as Flea, Taylor Hawkins, and Shirley Manson. The album is mostly straight forward rock with flashes of experiments and novelties. It spans 12 tracks and just about 50 minutes.

'Belly of an Insect' is an eerie song which creates an uncanny sense of what Help Wanted has in store for listeners. A translucent guitar is met with electronic effects and punctuated by Avery's guttural baritone sounds. The Foo Fighter's Taylor Hawkins does a good job of carrying the song with his solid beats. I didn't really like 'Beside the Fire' because it lacks melody and parts of it are overproduced. 'All Remote and No Control' is a pretty good song carried by the cold declaration " all that comes must go, when I can't see it I can't see it, all remote and no control". Delivering what seems to be a powerful message, the song isn't anything special. It succeeds, however, because it doesn't try to be anything special.

'Revolution' is departure from prior sounds from Help Wanted which finds us listening to Avery's poetic take on life over a simple beat, acoustic guitar, and some interesting polytones. The album's 5th track was co-written by Garbage's Shirley Manson and it certainly shows. Also performing vocals on the track, a nice hollowing contrast exists between Avery and Manson. Although they don't sound like perfect harmony, the sound is rich with strings and is certainly better than "Garbage".

Besides being a literary paradox, 'Unexploded' is one of the album's more interesting songs. Again featuring Taylor Hawkins, the song is rich in beat and carries a unique swagger not yet established from Avery. I also enjoyed 'Philo Beddoe' for it's detached sound. The song is slightly burdened by it's vocals but the music is interesting and surreal. The production also had a good idea when it decided to volume down Avery's lyrics so that it meshes with the music as opposed to standing out in front of it. 'Porchlight' would get my vote for Help Wanted's MVP. Placed towards the end of the track, the song is deliciously rich with piano and an off tempo beat that gives a nice groove to the song. The song also carries a solid and memorable melody both in vocal and guitars, but it is the relationship between the both of them that creates such a nice dynamic.

Eric Avery's debut solo album Help Wanted is a fence rider. By the time it was all over I didn't really get a sense of what direction the music was trying to go. Instead, I was greeted by an assorted mix of songs with the only identifiable commonplace being the unmistakable style of Avery's vocals. I was also disappointed in some of the bass licks. Being a bass player with a deep resume, I was looking forward to hearing some interesting lines. Unfortunately, I was mostly let down. This could be a creative decision however, so it would not be fair to knock him for it. Overall, this album is ok. It's probably not worth purchasing on just a whim. After all, what's in a name?