Rick Bain first made a splash on the Oregon underground music scene with his reproduction of the Beach Boy’s Pet Sounds. He managed to do it on a four-track recorder in his home, while playing all the instruments. This should give you an idea of his talent and influences.
Virtual Heavy Pet, is his newest album, and his second formal release. While working on this review, I listened to the CD in a public place. A young lady who was in the room with me began to sing along with the chorus on the first track, “Welcome to My Daydream.” Catchy, no? She thought it sounded familiar, but we decided that there was no way she could have heard it before. The same can be said about most of the other songs on the album, they all have a familiar feel to them. This is probably attributed to the fact that Rick draws heavily from classic rock. Listening to the album, it is almost as if the last couple of decades never happened. While it doesn’t have the fresh appeal of some of the new bands out there, Virtual Heavy Pet manages to not sound dated.
The songs on the album are all short and sweet. The longest, “Black Apple Orchard,” clocks in at four minutes. Throw in some good guitar hooks, a solid chorus and Rick Bain has captured the formula for rock n’ roll success that has worked for the likes of Tom Petty and others.
Less psychedelic than his previous release, Virtual Heavy Pet focuses more on a simple rock sound with piano and organ to provide a more interesting sound. The song “Is It That Hard,” combines The Beach Boys with a Far East sound. Overall, it is a strong album that will find fans amongst those who enjoy the best of rock from the ‘70s.
