Ever think that Jose Gonzales is a bit racy? No?
Predictable, nice album from a predictable, nice singer songwriter. Fine as far as it goes, but surely we want something more from our music...
A few years ago, Wynton Marsalis -jazz trumpeter, classical composer and general all round good egg - made a televised workshop for children that gave them the meat and bones of how to write music. One part of this sticks in mind. He says, when describing how to make a song "hit" the listener, that surprise is almost always the key.
If Dylan Donkin had heard this piece of teaching then "Food For Thoughtlessness" could have sounded a whole lot better than it does. Because, although the album does nothing wrong, it seldom surprises, shocks or delights. It is pleasant enough to listen to, but my goodness it is bland.
Dylan Donkin has obviously been raiding his record collection when looking for songwriting inspiration. There is a veritable mixing pot of styles on offer here but, in all honesty, for such a short record this smacks of too many cooks spoiling broth rather than a rich eclectic mix of genres and forms. The opening track, "Diatom Blues", reeks of Jose Gonzales with its sickly double tracked vocals and distant acoustic guitar. Elsewhere there are echoes of Pink Floyd and Neil Young as well as a rather big and unsubtle dollop of Kurt Cobain on closing track, "Yolk".
Maybe it's the way that it's supposed to be. Arty. Introspective. Perhaps I am missing the point. As previously mentioned, there are good points to "Food For Thoughtlessness". The melodies are strong, harmonic and resonate lusciously. The production is pretty good as well, with subtle hints of sounds creep into your ears like drizzle. "Make A Choice" almost even grooves. Maybe it just doesn't need to have a impressive, excitable element to make it work.
But of course it does, otherwise we'd all be listening to jazz fusion. The simply fact of life is that music, if nothing else, has to invoke a reaction, raise the heart beat or stimulate tears. There are many variants on this and hundreds of degrees to which it can do it but the fact remains that "Food For Thoughtlessness" fails to do it at all. In fact, it is one of those records that you have to concentrate to know when it ends. It really is that uninspiring.
But that does not make it bad. For flourishes of calm and colourful songs that one can play at a dinner party or chess tournament then "Food For Thoughtlessness" works. I am sure that there is a medical centre currently lining up to have it played as telephone hold music. However, for anyone who likes their music a little more focused, awe inspiring and (ahem) thoughtful then this will more than likely induce yawns rather than heart flutters.