ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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Richard Thompson
DREAM ATTIC PROPER RECORDS 30.8.10 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
This being Richard Thompson’s five billionth album, he’s chosen two different angles to approach the new material from (either to keep things fresh, or just because he can). “Dream Attic” comes laid across two discs, which both contain the same material - disc one, the “Electric” album, was recorded live (albeit very professionally), while disc two features the entire album performed acoustically, seemingly in a studio. The tracks sound very similar between the two presentations, but it’s something different that’ll suit quieter moods. Opening track “The Money Shuffle” is Thompson at his best. There’s a guitar hook that brings in the vocal hook and a strong bridge that leads into a chorus that is guaranteed to stick in your head. Both versions of the song are strong, but it’s not until the acoustic version that you begin to realise the double-meaning of some of the lyrics: ‘If you just bend over a little / I think you’ll feel my financial muscle / So spread it wide, wide as you can / To get the full benefit of my plan’. Trust me, this works better when it’s hidden by the full band. “Dream Attic” (in both of its forms) is unashamedly a folk-rock album, centring on the style of music that Thompson has been writing for years, but that is still enjoyable and fresh sounding. Sadly, the three standout tracks are all bittersweet. Aside from “The Money Shuffle”, we have “Here Comes Geordie”, a Thompson track in his Fairport Convention style, being a story about a man’s life that reminds slightly of Fairport’s “John Gaudy”. While it tells a good story, and offers a catchy tune, of all the songs he’s ever written, I doubt Thompson has come up with lines worse than ‘Woah there Geordie where’s your mother tongue? / That don’t sound like Tyneside to me / Geordie are you from Jamaicee?’. My skin crawls every time I hear it. The third track of note is “Demons In Her Dancing Shoes”, which suffers from being a little formulaic. I do love this track, but the first time I heard it I could instinctively hum along to the tune, so close was it to the standard folk-rock up-tempo song. Other tracks of note on this album include “Haul Me Up”, which is noticeable for being different – a Country-inspired gospel song that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Johnny Cash record; “Sidney Wells”, which brings together the ideal number of instruments for a folk-rock track – as many as will fit on the stage, and the fast blues of “Bad Again”. There are a couple of weak tracks as well, namely track two “Among The Gorse, Among The Grey”, which is sombre and ruins the momentum after such a strong opening; the dreary “Crimescene” and closing track “If Love Whispers Your Name” which, while not necessarily bad, suits being the album closer. So, like the album itself, we have two ways of looking at “Dream Attic”. The live reaction is one of great joy – the overall package is very effective, and I’ll be playing it many more times over the coming weeks. But strip back and pay more attention to the songs and cracks appear, which can compromise your enjoyment. My recommendation? Stick with the electric version and enjoy the album as a whole; it’s lively, catchy and unashamedly Richard Thompson. www.richardthompsondreamattic.com |
