Peter Katz is a sensitive singer songwriter type with an oh-so-lovely breathy smooth singing voice and a heartfelt delivery. The album is so well produced that it sounds like Katz and his band are right in front of you. It's all gentle acoustic guitar, piano and percussion with the occasional cello, violin or trumpet thrown in to help the listener distinguish between tracks. The songs are very personal tales of longing and/or waiting marinated in self-pity, even when he adopts other personas such as in The Fence (a homophobia victim), and Oliver's Tune (a leukemia victim). Katz knows that the title track has the strongest melody and has roped in Glen Hansard (oscar winner and erstwhile frontman of underrated The Frames) for his vocals and name. It could well be a hit.
If you're bursting with yearning and sweetness you may be able to relate to First Of The Last To Know better than me. In this regard, it's a perfectly realized collection of songs. Either Katz is the nicest man in the world or he purposely excludes any thoughts and emotions that aren't cuddle-worthy. It's all too easy to imagine the songs as background accompaniment to the summing up wisdom voice-overs on Scrubs or One Tree Hill and the like. I don't doubt the sincerity which he wears on his sleeve, but the album is so incessantly pensive and nice that it began to irritate me. The press release states that 'Katz' songs, carried by his passionate, intimate voice, guide us through the gamut of human experience.' Well if that's the gamut of his human experience, he really needs to get out more.
For acoustic introspection fans *****
Everyone else **
Monday, 10 May 2010
Friday, 7 May 2010
Album Review - Laments by Richard Warren
It's a shame really.
Any chance this album had of striking me as more than a pleasant and breezy grower was ruined by aGRRressive PR.
Laments sounds great and is beautifully produced. Ragged good-time stomps are followed by introspective ballads, with a spontaneous feel maintained throughout. The skillfully and tastefully employed instruments (clear electric and acoustic guitars, drums, piano and lashings of hammond) are mixed masterfully. There is no denying the album's amiable warmth, earthiness and folky-swagger. Warren is evidently an excellent arranger and producer, although not the most assured vocalist. With occasional exceptions (e.g.No Companion Like Solitude and Black Stone Empires) he opts for a natural tone, but otherwise his voice is effects-drenched and nasal, and in places reminiscent of 1970's era Dylan.
The problem is that the melodies are relatively weak and the production, upon repeated listening, appears to serve as a crutch. Certainly most of the melodies would not suceed very well in the ultimate 'how would it stand up with only voice and guitar?' test.You could argue that, with Laments' focus upon the sonic whole, this is an unfair criticism. However, when its accompanying PR release describes the songs as 'Unforgettable' and claims that the album 'resembles nothing less than a compelling compilation of "greatest hits" comprised of timeless songs that were never released' you can't help but feel disappointed that the hardest thing to forget is in fact the laughable hyperbole of the PR statement itself. Perhaps the pervasiveness of the election and summer blockbusters have sent marketing departments into a frenzy, but this ludicrous exaggeration does Warren a disservice by setting unmatchable expectations.
However, to continue the realtive-quality line, Laments is a damn sight more enjoyable and appealing than most things I've heard this year. Lamentably.
Any chance this album had of striking me as more than a pleasant and breezy grower was ruined by aGRRressive PR.
Laments sounds great and is beautifully produced. Ragged good-time stomps are followed by introspective ballads, with a spontaneous feel maintained throughout. The skillfully and tastefully employed instruments (clear electric and acoustic guitars, drums, piano and lashings of hammond) are mixed masterfully. There is no denying the album's amiable warmth, earthiness and folky-swagger. Warren is evidently an excellent arranger and producer, although not the most assured vocalist. With occasional exceptions (e.g.No Companion Like Solitude and Black Stone Empires) he opts for a natural tone, but otherwise his voice is effects-drenched and nasal, and in places reminiscent of 1970's era Dylan.
The problem is that the melodies are relatively weak and the production, upon repeated listening, appears to serve as a crutch. Certainly most of the melodies would not suceed very well in the ultimate 'how would it stand up with only voice and guitar?' test.You could argue that, with Laments' focus upon the sonic whole, this is an unfair criticism. However, when its accompanying PR release describes the songs as 'Unforgettable' and claims that the album 'resembles nothing less than a compelling compilation of "greatest hits" comprised of timeless songs that were never released' you can't help but feel disappointed that the hardest thing to forget is in fact the laughable hyperbole of the PR statement itself. Perhaps the pervasiveness of the election and summer blockbusters have sent marketing departments into a frenzy, but this ludicrous exaggeration does Warren a disservice by setting unmatchable expectations.
However, to continue the realtive-quality line, Laments is a damn sight more enjoyable and appealing than most things I've heard this year. Lamentably.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)