A Pleasant But Slow Album
Malcolm Middleton is the kind of modest musician that you learn to love for his self-depreciating comments, if any other musician said that they didn’t like their new album that much at the moment because “Maybe I’m just sick of the sound of my own voice”, they’d be mocked but with Middleton it’s all part of his sincere charm.
Opener ‘Red Travellin’ Socks’ has been part of Middleton’s live shows for a while now but has turned into a glossy, enthusiastic pop song on record. It’s a bright and buoyant tune but perhaps stretches on for a little too long, thus losing some of its impact. Most of the album shows off Middleton’s strong point; angsty, driven ballads like ‘Kiss At The Station’ which mixes a melodramatic melody, energetic percussion and chiming riffs. ‘Ballad of Fuck All’ manages to ruminate about “soul-destroying gloom” but still remain a dreamy and engaging little tune with soft, whispering female vocals.
There’s a series of truly downbeat and despairing numbers that are touching but a little miserable on the listener; ‘Carry Me’ is probably the most morose tune on the album, it has an intensely personal feel and sees Middleton talks about death in aching monologue over a series of lulling gentle backing vocals. ‘Stop Doing Be Good’ teams up sparkles of piano with a heavy vocal line that feels like it’s burdened with the woes of the world until a vitriolic surging coda explodes out of the lethargy to keep you on your toes.
‘Waxing Gibbous’ doesn’t deviate much from Middleton’s usual fair, but it’s an interesting album with some very nice tunes all the same, the main problem is that these gems are buried between other more lacklustre numbers that give an overwhelming feel of despondence. It’s fine to have emotive and melancholy music, but this seems to work best when it’s countered by something more upbeat.