Review: Rory McVicar – Another Sleepless Night
The songs are wistful and have quality, tinged with blues and regret. A relaxing background listen, but the tracks are all rather samey.
Rory McVicar sounds like a less intense Jose’ Gonzalez on this, his second album.( The first album was titled ” Rory McVicar” and released in 2007.) He is based in Norwich.
Rory won the Radio 1 unsigned artist of the year title in 2006,and the albums title refers to his nocturnal songwriting.Some of the tracks sound a bit soporific and repetitive, “(Don`t You) Call My Name “, ” Lonesome Goodnight Music”, (rather 1960′s), and “Darling Wait”.
In fact most of the album is ideal to play at night if winding down after a busy day is what’s required.
Rory McVicar’s band on the album consists of three musicians – known collectively as The Zzzs- Nat Johnson(vocals), Owen Turner(bass/vocals) and Andrew Rayner (drums/vocals).
The late John Peel commended Rory McVicar in 2005 with a mention in Peel’s Festive 50.
” I Will Take The Blame” is reasonably lively, with pleasing vocals from Rory.Its the liveliest track on the album.Speaking of Rory’s vocals, he has a good commercially- acceptable voice, but his sound is definitely non – commercial, at least at the moment.
This album’s a pleasing listen, and with a few more cohesive tracks hopefully on the next album when it comes, Rory McVicar could be a bigger name than he is now.Worth a listen.
