You pronounce his name like 'brewery' apparently...
Hey you...come over here. Don't be shy or afraid, come closer. I've got a secret to tell you. As it's rather embarrassing, promise me you'll keep it to yourself. Okay? You ready? Here we go: I was born in Devon.
Now admittedly, the above is not a particularly revelatory or interesting fact and you're probably wondering why I bothered mentioning it at all. It's all Ruarri Joseph's fault.
Although Joseph was born in Edinburgh - which is a perfectly respectable city I'm sure you'll agree - he moved (alright so he was four years old at the time, so it's more accurate to say that he WAS moved) to the Cornish village of Callestick. What a mistake-a-to-make-a.
Those of you who paid attention at school or are idiotic enough to indulge in extreme sports such as windsurfing, surfing or cribbage, will be well aware that Devon sits right next to Cornwall on the metaphorical boot of the British Isles (if Cornwall is the toe-cap; Devon is the laces). Something you might not be aware of is that Cornwall and Devon don't get on...at all.
In fact, I'd go as far to say that if a Cornish (sounds wrong I know but that's how Devonians refer to THEM) burst into a Devon pub and was: on fire, suffering from multiple shotgun wounds, tottering on deformed gangrenous limbs and screaming about being raped by an angry buffalo, the patrons of said establishment wouldn't lift a finger. Hang on - that's a lie. They probably would lift a finger - but only to point out the location of the door, while also politely advising the poor unfortunate to "Piss off back to your caravan in Padstow and your pikey wife (who's also your sister) and bake your midget tin-loving children another goddamn pasty". How cruel life is.
As a critic, I've got to be impartial. I've got compartmentalise these feelings and provide an honest, cogent, balanced and unbiased critical appraisal of 'Tales Of Grime + Grit'. So here goes: it's alright. It won't set the world on fire but if you catch it on the radio, you'll probably quite like it - provided you're a fan of folksy-rock. Of course it's folksy-rock - what did you expect from a Cornish...industrial thrash metal? George Formby is yet to break big in St. Austell for goodness sake.
The NME has described Joseph thus: 'Ruarri demonstrates what Dylan might have been like had he grown up in Newquay'. However, given that the NME believes that McFly was a credible rock band, that The Feeling know how to write songs and that Lily Allen actually has talent, this comment should be taken with a Death Star-sized pinch of salt. And let's be crystal clear about Dylan: he's overrated. He isn't a great musician, he can't carry a tune (even when aided by a fork-lift truck) and writes ridiculous, fatuous and intentionally obscure lyrics because he wants people to think he's clever. Christ, even Ringo Starr can do better.
'Tales Of Grime + Grit' does follow a Dylan-esque template to be sure but its simplicity makes it easier to swallow. Inoffensive, fuzzy, folk-inflected singer-songwriter fare is the best description I can muster. If you like the genre, you'll like this. If you don't, you won't - it's as simple as that. Pesky Cornish.