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bravecaptain, "2005 Singles Club"
bravecaptain’s full-on dalliances with glitch, techno and breaks have over time become infused elements within his songs instead of headfirst jumps into sonic territories. Trying to hold the man down to an easy to tag sound is difficult, but at a push its melodic pop with a fucked up expansive structure and a warm digital simple production. Even that description leaves fat big holes in the home studio sound.
self released
Writing, recording and self releasing an MP3 single a month through his website, bravecaptain (aka Martin Carr) has accidentally created a full album release that superbly showcases his patchwork style of lyrical laptop pop.
Writing, recording and self releasing an MP3 single a month through his website, bravecaptain (aka Martin Carr) has accidentally created a full album release that superbly showcases his patchwork style of lyrical laptop pop.
While most of the songs seem to be built from a predilection and talent with acoustic guitar, programmed drums, keyboards and vocals he manages to explore outside this more traditional set up. A production style that encompasses space and subtly and highlighting the odd and broke parts of a mix seems to sit more easily within a dub context rather than a pop one. bravecaptain’s ability to coax and secure lambent sounds to the hearts of his songs is a side-effect of his skill as a writer/arranger/producer. In someone less talented it’d be possible to see these sounds as ‘spice up the mix’ afterthoughts. His beats, while always engaging, are still improving and getting that little bit closer to a full on two footed toe tapping session.
 
"August" might have even inspired movement beyond the feet, being a glitchy but sad little dancehall pop number. Carr sings about a romance gone wrong with a solo call and response ‘What’s wrong?’ and much of his lyrics balances on the fine line between having finally lost his love affair with life and advocating absolute positivity.
 
Right across the album there are big winsome tunes in the delicate firefly swirl of "January", the heft sampling on the totally un-autumnal "September" and "February"s stomping off kilter buzzy bass. There are touches of other artists when he goes Beatlesque during "March" and carries a defeated Poguesy swagger on "July"s last orders. There are perfect moments aplenty here when Carr’s song’s get sidelined as the music and vocals drift along on bobbing beats. "May" ends like this on a mini-techno run while retaining the melancholy of the chorus mantra "I had reach in to break out".
 
With a free download album due for release in very early 2006 and a limited DJ set having already been released (again for free), this collection is one bravecaptain album which costs money, and it’s worth every penny.
 
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