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Neil Halstead, "Sleeping On Roads"
Fans of Mojave 3 and the legendary (and sadly defunct) Slowdive haveawaited with baited breath and in sweaty anticipation the solo debut ofNeil Halstead, the frontman of both groups. Having performed quite anumber of live gigs prior to the release of 'Sleeping on Roads,'Halstead's ease as a solo artist is apparent.
He has taken on boardsuch talents as Ian McCutcheon, Darren Seymour, Nick Holton and MarkVan Hoen (on whose Locust album 'Morning Light' Halstead made a briefbut memorable vocal appearance) to assist with the recording in variousfacilities. His remarkable songwriting abilities have always invitedcomparisons to both Nick Drake and Tim Buckley, but rarely has theirinfluence been so clear as on this release. The pervasive sleepymelancholy and sumptuous lullabies of 'Sleeping on Roads', however, arethoroughly Halstead's trademarks. "Martha's Mantra (For The Pain)", anunderstated ballad of sex and religion is a particularly strikingexample of his talents. That said, it is rather surprising that thisalbum isn't as catchy as these elements would suggest. With theexception of more standout tracks such as "See You on Rooftops" and"Seasons," the songs tend to amalgamate indistinguishably after awhile, leaving the impression that Halstead may have benefited from astronger production team. The contributing artists help to balance outthe dominance of the acoustic guitar with subtle touches of cello,organ, trumpet and light electronic elements, but the guitar remains abit heavy-handed. On the other hand, being such a clearly-focusedrecord, it is most likely that his intentions were on the modest side,and in this respect, he seems to have succeeded.
He has taken on boardsuch talents as Ian McCutcheon, Darren Seymour, Nick Holton and MarkVan Hoen (on whose Locust album 'Morning Light' Halstead made a briefbut memorable vocal appearance) to assist with the recording in variousfacilities. His remarkable songwriting abilities have always invitedcomparisons to both Nick Drake and Tim Buckley, but rarely has theirinfluence been so clear as on this release. The pervasive sleepymelancholy and sumptuous lullabies of 'Sleeping on Roads', however, arethoroughly Halstead's trademarks. "Martha's Mantra (For The Pain)", anunderstated ballad of sex and religion is a particularly strikingexample of his talents. That said, it is rather surprising that thisalbum isn't as catchy as these elements would suggest. With theexception of more standout tracks such as "See You on Rooftops" and"Seasons," the songs tend to amalgamate indistinguishably after awhile, leaving the impression that Halstead may have benefited from astronger production team. The contributing artists help to balance outthe dominance of the acoustic guitar with subtle touches of cello,organ, trumpet and light electronic elements, but the guitar remains abit heavy-handed. On the other hand, being such a clearly-focusedrecord, it is most likely that his intentions were on the modest side,and in this respect, he seems to have succeeded.samples:
Pit er Pat
Starting in 2004, the trio of Pit er Pat—Rob Doran, Fay Davis-Jeffers and Butchy Fuego—have been releasing music on a number of different labels, including their latest full-length on Chicago's Thrill Jockey. Their brand of music has drawn comparisons to Blonde Redhead, Soft Machine and Slapp Happy, among others.
