Multi-instrumental melodies from Philip Davis' collective
Unpredictable, but engaging because of it. The Tinpots lineup for this album is a whopping nine musicians and singers, but go to see them live and it could have changed again, who knows. This allows songwriter Philip Davis a lot of freedom with his writing. All the songs here can work as multi-layered vocal tracks, but are clearly written with acoustic performances in mind. Surprisingly for such a full lineup, opening tracks ‘Softhead’ and ‘Take Them In’ seem sparse and incomplete, even if they are note-perfect. The vocals of Philip, Becky Found and Jaime Greening work in perfect harmony, but the whole effect is still strangely low-key and underplayed.
There’s so much untapped potential for experimentation with this formula that it’s quite frustrating that they’ve come up with an album that would sound just as good if every song was played with one voice and an acoustic guitar. But I suppose that’s the point. That’s where the flexibility comes in. They can play softer tracks like ‘Gunfire’ with violins or with a guitar, because the emphasis is on the vocals.
All the same, somehow I’m not entirely convinced by the start of this album. It is so vocal-led (and luckily the vocals are good) that everything else fades into the background but unfortunately the lyrics aren’t strong enough to be a focal point. Yes, it’s technically good, but it’s lacking that certain spark that makes me think ‘wow’. One notable exception is the quirky ‘Coincidental Song’ with it’s brilliant harmonies, and great use of keys. ‘Fully Functional’ is another good example of the songwriting working well with the singers, and when it works, it sounds phenomenal. ‘Take It From Me’ is another delicate piece of songwriting with the instruments only picking out the faintest details around it. And just in case you were worried it was getting too serious, ‘Biscuit’ tells the story of the universal truth that is how good tea and biscuits are. Oh, and love, that too. But I like the biscuit bit. It’s also one of the more interesting and fully-rounded songs on the album.
It takes a few plays before you hear ‘Softhead’(album) to it’s full potential. The melodies are low-key but effective. Sometimes it’s hard not to wish there was a bit more bite or edge to some of the songs, but on the whole they’re well thought-out, intimate songs.