Chillingsworth Surfingham is actually a pseudonym for John Ashfield, who is the leader of the internationally known San Francisco band the Bobbleheads. Not only has John adopted a new name on his debut solo album, Chillingsworth (ATOM Records), but a different identity.
Costumed in a stuffed bear head, sunglasses, a striped T-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes, Ashfield resembles a cute snd cuddly cartoon character. Although the image is gimmicky, there is nothing the least bit whimsical about the music. Consisting solely of surf-guitar instrumentals, Chillingsworth is a highly accomplished take on the genre.
The first number on the album, “Coronado,” sets the standard for the remainder of revelations to be relished. Pronounced by a galloping groove and sweeping melodies galore, the punchy piece is accompanied by a great video. Shot at Ocean Beach in San Francisco – with the legendary Cliff House looming in the background – “Coronado” smacks of surrealism. Here’s a big teddy bear jamming good on a guitar, while a dapperly dressed couple dances to the driving beat.
By blending vintage templates with a fresh perspective, Chillingsworth presents a nice mix of familiarity and originality. Classic to the core, “Surfer’s Ennui” and “Fly Banana” are threaded with striking tones, slippery reverb and whooshing rhythms, where “Slapjack Tuna” projects a rather twangy tenor and “Pushing Paper” boasts a hypnotic undertow.
Teeming with nimble picking, an impeccable sense of timing and densely-defined hooks, “Lipstick Lane” and “Tiki Crazy” slide in as other boss cuts, as well as the relentlessly catchy “8 Track Camaro,” which rumbles and rolls with utmost determination.
As “Chillingsworth Surfingham, John Ashfield’s moonlighting gig as a surf guitar-playing bear has certainly paid off. Hopefully, he continues to pursue this path and we can expect to hear more cool instrumentals from his fabulous fretwork in the near future.
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