With to and fro piano keys played in a slow, steady, sinister rhythm in amongst Russell’s vocal that begins as a maudlin murmur before breaking out into a higher, despairing register akin to Starsailor‘s James Walsh. Except where that band employed cut-and-paste theatrics to make each song an ‘anthem’, Russell reins things in, his piano tentatively suggesting that it’ll implode, and when the bassier notes arrive he employs a Steve Harley-esque falsetto, squeaking ‘Live in myself, live in myself’ with a certain Victorian theatricality.
Carousel employs echoing hushed vocal recorded as if from the back of an empty church hall, there are whispers of vibrating strings, before the tempo rapidly increases into a peculiar, almost deranged finale that is excitable yet stunted due to the clipped, tight production around the feverishly hammered piano keys. It’s an interesting tune, a three act curiosity that lacks a little atmosphere, a similar problem that befalls Sick Heart‘s giddy piano moving with breathless velocity whilst Russell coos over the top, and the whole track rattles forward the same tempo until it ends suddenly.
Twee ballad Wake Up works better, Russell’s voice softened and complimenting the ebb and flow of the track well. Final track 1672 is a jaunty waltz with playful rhythms and percussion, though the synths overwhelm the track when they arrive washing out the emotion of Russell’s performance and flattening the end of the record in a foggy anti-climax.
A decent set of home recordings in all with a few songs that don’t particularly evolve or are a tad one dimensional, but Russell’s got ideas and isn’t afraid to experiment a little with his piano driven pop sound.
[Rating:3]
