RHUM

I used to know a man who wanted to be this album, he turned out to be a jerk. Some albums you have to turn yourself down to listen to. Some albums have an inbuilt pointed device that silences you so the music can take over. This album does not. You have to turn yourself down to listen to this album and that’s why I think this album is a jerk. I want my music to be automatic.

The songs are pleasant if not for themselves then for the thoughts they conjure. The slow melody in 'The Beginning' drifts like a thin trail of blue smoke. The plonking piano in 'A Line In The Dirt' makes me glad there are glass windows, rain and large knitted cardigans. 'I Need A Mother' makes me glad Neil Young wrote 'A Man Needs A Maid' so that I can go and listen to that song instead. 'Little Bird' might well be the avian reply to Louis MacNeice’s seminal 'Poem II' from Autumn Journal where he addresses a spider about the difficulties of keeping on keeping on, and we all know how hard that can be.

A direct translation from heart to sound is how some of the greatest albums have come into being. This is not one of the greatest albums but it does stand as a testament to the value of being self-absorbed. If you’re looking for somewhere to listen to End Times by Eels with your mp3 player you’re going to have to catch a bus. Go catch an American bus, in the rain. Sit towards the back of the bus against the window. Comb back your rain-wet hair with your fingers leaving behind something you once loved but is now broken.

Standout Tracks: In My Younger Days and Little Bird

2/5 Stars