THE FLASH BEFORE THE CRASH – Brian O’Blivion (October 32)
For some 15 very odd years, the cosmetic-spattered Trash Brats were to Detroit clubs what tadpoles are to ponds, our own version of the Dead End Kids if, uh, Slip, Satch, and the others were brand loyal to Frederick’s of Hollywood, 
Revlon, and Aqua Net instead of Lucky Strikes, Zippo, and Night Train. If they’d lived and breathed during the 1960’s, the band would have been world beaters on Saturday mornings.
Fronted by Brian “O’Blivion” McCarty, who dreamed up the whole mess with guitarist Ricky Rat in junior high school, The Trash Brats caked themselves in hooker slap and customized thrift shop drag, pop tunes stuffed in every pocket, and quickly endeared themselves to most anyone in this city with a sense of humor and an appreciation of rousing, buzzing, sugar-glazed tales of getting fucked up, fucked over, and sometimes just plain fucked played by a bunch of guys who couldn’t find a life with both hands and a flashlight.
The Trash Brats snapped all of their eyeliner sticks a few years back and O’Blivion takes his first tentative step over their corpse with his third
solo album, a baker’s dozen which doesn’t stray far from what he hung his “16 forever” reputation on with them. In case you’re wondering, that’s a good thing.
O’Blivion evidently squirreled away a hook or two from years past since “The Flash Before The Crash” is crawling with ‘em, sunny, quirky, and
impatiently tapping you on the shoulder. The onset of middle age has never sounded like so goddamn much fun as it does on “Today I Feel Old” nor long-distance romance on “X-Mas Angel.”
Also tucked away for future reference was a serious tilt for country, “Freeway Valentine” resembling Hanoi Rocks on open mic night at Gilley’s, O’Blivion twanging away like the bastard love child of Roy Clark and Johnny Thunders. “Silver Wings,” a Merle Haggard cover, bellies up to the bar, exuding greasy charm, a bottle of Lone Star close at hand and just a pinch between its cheek and gum.
Along for the play date are drummer Jason Pearce and bassist Sean Bondareff, O’Blilvion stepping out of the long shadow of Rat with
chattering, nyah-nyah guitar, the spiritual Motor City brother of Kevin K (minus the exports of Russia and Peru).
O’Blivion’s twitchy pop touch may have been obscured underneath all of the tattoos, fishnet, and rouge he sported in The Trash Brats, but “The Flash Before The Crash” is an invigorating blast of near-perfect sleaze pop with a trebly cocaine-buzz edge, turned up loud enough to let the whole neighborhood in on it.. - Clark Paull
