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.