John Martyn Portrait

Gilly is looking to sell this portrait she has made of John Martyn using mixed media.

Please follow the link and thanks for you interest.

REVIEW: SELFIE by Jim Pearson

A new solo album from Jim Pearson, here’s a track by track first impressions review:

This album starts by breaking the mould of starting with your firecracker track. “Who wants the World?” The opening chords are poignant, foretelling sadness. The track lapses into laconic beats, and you wait. Wait, expecting Jim to burst into song, but the sparse, interesting instrumentation continues. A reluctant melody joins and then leaves, no voice sounds, the music fades slowly away. I find this music very comforting, I could listen to this track for hours, but the reverie is broken by the second track, “The Organ Donor”, a more recognisable Jim Pearson song which expresses our collective anxiety coupled to our apathy, a battle of lyrics and drumbeat, come on we can overcome this sense of doom! The upbeat driving confirm the hope behind the questions. 

We’re still on familiar territory on the third track, “Until it’s Not”, a whimsical beat with west coast underscore, sixties keyboard sound. Jim’s lyrics can’t be described as easy, they make you think. The similar theme of negative lyrics continue with “Into the Night”, but the soaring brass suggests an optimism, moving into a happy clappy feel, a great vibe, dancing into the night suggesting avoidance of the something that went wrong.

“Twenty Twenty” Reminds me of a TV Detective theme music feel, instrumental, which some Rick Wakeman fuzz keyboards in the mix. It feels like you are spiralling into a plug hole until suddenly the mood lifts you out again just in time. I don’t know if the title suggests looking backwards or forwards given the early January release date, but it keeps the mood up before “Happy Sad” takes us back into the mould with wordplay lyrics, bouncy melody and a nod to grunge mid song. 

“The Inevitable “ is a happy tune with a foreboding feel to the mantra like lyric, leaves you slightly disturbed despite the building crescendo. “Swimming with Sharks” is classic Jim Pearson, maybe tongue in cheek swipe at swimming with dolphins, it maintains a good contrast between the happy tune and the rather alarming lyrics. These two will both be a favourite singalongs at Jim’s gigs I’m sure.

“Heads in the Cloud” covers a very 21st century issue in the lyrics, and is followed by ”Wherever You Go There You Are” A most unusual sound, kind of 21st century banjo and Wild West piano, both simple but pleasing melodies.

“Quid Pro Quo” A driving, insistent beat with a two sided story to tell, another demanding lyric.

“You for Me” A heavier, uptempo song with a common theme of boy meets girl and promptly doubts everything about himself. Both the song and the album are over before this is resolved, leaving us, again, questioning, perhaps unfulfilled, hoping for more.

Elements of this album remind me of Jon Redfern’s first album, especially instrumentally, which is one of my very favourites, Jim has some great lyrical themes and develops them well through some of these songs. Listening through two or three times I felt that the album could maybe do with a touch more joy in it here and there, but there are some good songs in here and I’m looking forward to hearing them again, both from the album and when they get played out live.

Coming soon on Bandcamp.

A 2020 Revival

A number of events have conspired to make me want to write a few notes hear, and there are plans to attend some good shows in the coming year, so I should have plenty to write about if the muse stays with me!

So what’s occurring that makes me want to write? Well to start with we paid a visit to The Raven Folk Club last night, and what a joy that was. Good humoured and diverse, a wealth of talent, stretching folk to its most elastic, pleasing on the ear, good beer at the bar and all for the price of a couple of quid for raffle tickets. There was even an Elton John anecdote. I’m not going to list songs and performers, just to say it’s a good night out. Every Sunday at the Bear and Billet in Chester, every week something different.

There seems to be a resurgence of folk (again) around where we live, with another new club opening at the end of the month, and several fledgling clubs doing well already, on top of the long established nights that seem to be thriving too. Splendid!