Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew – Spirt if….
This artist is new to me-I knew nothing about him before I heard this album,which is a blend of indie,country,rock,folk.A bit of a melting pot,putting it mildly-this is Kevin Drew’s first solo album after Broken Social Scene.
Backed Out On The… is a track with a very 70s sound and I can sense a whiff of Lennon’s Give Peace A Chance in there somewhere.This one should be released as a single – it would do pretty well I feel. It’s very dancey and would grace any party.
When It Begins reminds me of that old song She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain ! Again,a bit of Lennon influence underlying this pleasant little song.You could sing this one round the campfire of an evening and then fall into a blissful sleep in your tent under the stars.
The oddly named Bodhi Sappy Weekend could be classed as “easy listening”. It’s as light as a souffle and very pleasant to listen to. Spirit If…is turning out to be an intriguing album and more melodic than I thought.
Another incredibly laid back song is Ageing Faces/Losing Places. My eyes were closing listening to it. Soothing and ever so slightly jazzy.
On Big Love,a song which sounds like it has more substance to it,the mood suddenly switches to a similarity to the Plastic Ono Band,with a distant Yoko Ono vocal going on,although this song is pleasant enough. Rather an eccentric track,it stops and starts again with a discordant instrumental break, incorporating harsh keyboards and thumpy drums. A little hard to digest,is my summing-up of this song. It could touch on the pretentious.
Roughly a minute of “ooh-ahs”, and a dreamy instrumental on Underneath The Skin,sounds like the waves of the sea-very soothing.
Everyone knows The Rakes’ The World Was A Mess But His Hair Was Perfect,yes? Well,Frightening Lives sounds exactly like it.Enough said!
This is an album of jams-laidback, gentle, shoe-gazing,it will be a successful autumn release.
Recommended.
