Charlie Ward is a sound engineer from Scotland whose pseudonym accurately reflects his ironic take on pop culture.
His songs are written for a band who has never quite existed outside of his imagination.
A while back, he put out a couple of digital only free EPs on Bandcamp which came to the attention of the Edinburgh label Song,ByToad resulting in an official debut in the form of this ten track CD.
It was recorded in London and Glasgow and showcases a batch of snappy pop songs with punk attitude; a kind of Kinks meet Eels via Husker Du.
The eclectic mix of acoustic folk, commercial pop and garage rock is hard to get a clear handle on and suggests a restless soul who divides his time between musing in his bedroom and howling at the moon.
The Werewolf Hop is his hymn to the latter state of mind. while the former bears fruits on Fante's Last Stand , a delicate folky ballad apparently inspired by an article Ward read about John Fante writing his final book.
Portland Street (Parts 1 and 2) and Closing Time reveal the artist's Glaswegian origins.
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The songs are lyrically obscure (or just plain undecipherable) although the standout track Walking On Eggshells seems to be about the pitfalls of a conventional life with no happy ending : "perched on the gutter above - he recalled the love - before he crashed through the pavement". Despite the tragic denouement the tune is very catchy with strong echoes of Manfred Mann's Pretty Flamingo.
I'm listened to this album a few times and while I can hear that it's the work of a talented musician and unconventional songwriter, only Walking On Eggshells hits me as a keeper.
My impression is that it would benefit from the ideas being bounced around a bit more - perhaps it's time Charlie formed a band.
King Post Kitsch Website
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