“As ever with Adamson, right from the first note you are reminded of a film score.”
“As ever with Adamson, right from the first note you are reminded of a film score.”
Barry Adamson – Back to the Cat
http://www.konkurrent.nl/ http://www.centralcontrol.co.uk/
Woah! Barry Adamson! I have to admit the last LP I got of his was the tremendous Oedipus Schmoedipus way back in 1997, so I can’t really comment on what he’s been up to between times, but hell; it’s good to hear that his powers haven’t waned. As ever with Adamson, right from the first note you are reminded of a film score. Opener The Beaten Side of Town is a classic hard luck story over a surprisingly jaunty beat; akin to Dean Martin covering Roxy’s The Bogus Man. Now and again the tempo drops to a steamy stroll (Straight Til Sunrise) and sometimes there’s the odd cynical outburst like the soulful I Could Love You. As usual the sound is lush and expansive; beautifully clear and jazzy with the odd menacing touch, a facet which works superbly on the instrumental tracks like The Shadow of Death Hotel. Or the truly magnificent Civilization. If you’ve never heard Adamson before, well you’re in for a treat; it might not be as eclectic as Moss Side Story or Oedipus…, but its wonderfully cheeky and debonair music. A tonic for these straightened times.
Words: Richard Foster