#309: Jack Robert Hardman - I Don't Need An Answer (single review)

'I Don't Need An Answer', the latest single from solo singer/songwriter Jack Robert Hardman, sees a return to his unique brand of folk-pop, floating hazily forward on wave upon wave of melody. Taken from his current EP 'The Great Unknown', the track feels somewhat more radio friendly than other releases ('Plymouth', for instance) but it works in Hardman's favour: his pop sensibilities shining through, like a more polished Beulah, the vocals providing at times, an almost-gruffness that prevents the track from being too polished.

This review was originally written for Little Indie Blos, click here to read in full.

#306: Paul Orwell - Tell Me, Tell Me (single review)

Paul Orwell

Tell Me, Tell Me/Little Reason

July 21 2014 (Heavy Soul Records)

8/10

Did the '60s have swagger? Everyone knows that it swung, but did it swug? Is swag even a verb that can have a past tense, at least when used in the irritating context it's used in today? What am I even talking about? The point I'm trying to make is, if their was ever a decade that had actual swagger and not the cringe-worthy kind Nicki Minaj tries to epitomise, then it was the '60s. Unfortunately for London-based multi-instrumentalist Paul Orwell, his blend of '60s garage-pop meets '90s mod revival doesn't quite work. At least visually, that is.

This review was orignally written for Little Indie Blogs. Click here to read in full.

#249: Kevin Devine - Soup Kitchen, Manchester - 6/02/14

Gig review: Kevin Devine - Soup Kitchen, Manchester - 6/02/14

This review was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click the link above to read in full.

#183: Kevin Devine - Bulldozer

Album review: Kevin Devine - Bulldozer (2013)

This review was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click the link above to read in full.

#178: Dave Hause - Devour

Album review: Dave Hause - Devour (2013)

This article was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click above to read the full review.

#163: Lonesound - The Great Outdoors Part 3 (EP review)

For many the dissolution of a band can kind of be like a messy break-up, an end of an era. Personal friendships can fall apart and resentment can kick in. For others though, it can be the start of something new, something fresh, and if you choose to strike out on your own, as the lead singer of ill-fated indie band My Luminaries did, it can mean a whole new level of freedom and control never experienced within a band.

James Ewers aka Lonesound has, for the last 12 months, been releasing a series of EPs entitled The Great Outdoors, an obvious reference to his new found creative liberation. The collection of records, charting his journey as a solo artist over the period of a year were “an interesting way of releasing the songs I’d begun after my band split up...and seeing where it might lead me." And lead him places it did, having received critical acclaim across radio and blogosphere alike for the first two parts, Lonesound has recently released The Great Outdoors (Part 3) a collection of four tracks pertaining to his engagement on New Years Day.

Opener 'A Place For Everyone' is an ode to loneliness and sees Ewers take on a variety of roles including keys and acoustic and electric guitars. It's a solid opener, though thankfully the most downbeat of the four tracks featured. Proceeding track '(You Don't Have To Be) Strong' is a much more optimistic affair. Jangly indie-pop guitars work in tandem with keys to form an infectious and hook filled track written about his future bride. Similarly, 'As We Along' is more of the same. Vocal harmonies are matched by keys and violin both, while the lyrics are perhaps some of the most picturesque seen in contemporary acoustic music. There's an unashamed camp quality to his music. And despite initial reservations, by the third or fourth listen to the EP, it becomes obvious that Ewers is not only a hugely accomplished musician. He's also a fantastic songwriter too.



Even though it's a solid track, 'A Place For Everyone' really is the song that stops this record from being almost perfect. It just doesn't stand up to the level of quality held up by the rest of the record. Whether that's because a song about loneliness just doesn't seem to convincing from a man recently engaged and obviously ecstatic at the prospect of marrying the woman he loves, or whether it's simply because it's just a weaker track in general, instrumentation aside, I don't know. What I do know, is that James Ewers going solo is probably the best thing he could have done and if the his forthcoming solo album stands up to the level of quality exhibited here, then it's certainly going to be a record worth taking notice of

This article was originally written for Ears On. Click here to see what else they've been up to.