SMDGE. is in his mid-twenties, He’s from Cambridge and he has talented friends. Using the usual glue and string of independence, enthusiasm and musical gifts he has produced a better-than-professional compilation of his own and his friends’ work. He has taken advantage of his contractually unencumbered status to draw out some fine recordings that make concessions to nothing but clarity, simplicity and intelligence.
On a smart little CD of 14 tracks, SMDGE. the artist takes three - “Satellites” is a sweep of an indie love song with added strings and touching regret. “Blacks and Greys” is in similar emotional territory, with a slightly deeper resonance. “Hello, hello” comes from his electronica/collaborative side. Two voices, an insistent tune and gentle beats. Very nice
In the lilting "Yellow Suit", AMYCANBE has a dreamy voice set against a light folk/jazz setting (fine trumpet). "My Ring" has a more delicate and mournful piano tune. It’s very short and very beautiful.
BUTCHER BOY shows once with a slightly self-conscious singer-songwriter thing and I wonder why he’s singing with an American accent. Maybe he’s American. DOWN IN AUTUMN, FRESHLY DEAD, KCASINO and THE POLAR BEAR EQUATION also offer single shots. The sounds are predominantly acoustic, gentle and thoughtful. I especially like KCASINO’s female poetic monlogue against a rippling, semi-familiar guitar part with beats and string sounds. There’s a chorus that breaks into two-voiced singing. THE POLAR BEAR EQUATION introduce a lightly played drumkit, but keep the soft-handed feel and some almost whispered vocals.
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SILICON have a GARY LIGHTBODY aura. Their songs are effortlessly beguiling. Added ambient sound is carefully done. “Bourgoyne” is a guitar thing, “Porcelaine” rises and falls against an insistent keyboard pulse, and lifts into a really compelling song by the end.
PAUL GOODWIN takes the route of the isolated guitar (beautifully played) and fragile, expressive voice (confidently done). On “Edinburgh” there are veins of 60s folk club singer-songwriter rippling through the introspection. A sympathetic bass gives it strength and maturity. I like it. But I really love GOODWIN’S “So ... Finally a Love Song”. It starts with a beautifully unresolved guitar line that says “here comes the melancholy” And then it does.
Unexpectedly, among my current pile of exciting compilations this is the one I realise I will be playing often - like that romantically evocative mix-tape from a secret but cherished girlfriend. Do seek it out. I promise you won’t be disappointed –just so long as you don’t try to gulp it all down too quickly.
www.patchedupbutstillmeliting.com
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