Sometimes, it’s blatantly obvious that an album’s been self-released on a tiny budget, and I’m not talking about punky bands espousing the DIY ethic. The kind of act that enjoys music – probably on Radio 2 or something – but really hasn’t researched ‘the industry’ all that that deeply (beyond perhaps firing off a few demos and receiving rebuffs or nothing at all) and has decided to go it alone. They’re well-meaning, but fundamentally clueless, as are the design company – or friend – they’ve got to design the CD cover. Nice people, and competent musicians, for sure, but...
As a reviewer – as a human being – you feel like a complete cunt panning such releases. Chances are, the artists have poured more heart and soul into their release that probably won’t even shift a hundred copies than the majority of talentless tosspots hogging the top 40 or the excruciating X Factor wannabes. But that doesn’t mean they’re any good. I’m the last person to side with ‘the man’: there are so many artists out there who are staggeringly, breathtakingly good, but who can’t get arrested let alone a recording contract. But then, for every stunning talent that foes undiscovered, there are twenty acts who are truly diabolical, who can exist on a local level because they have some sympathetic friends and there are some wildly drunk people knocking about at pub gigs.
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Don’t get me wrong, on a technical level, ‘Home Sweet Home’ is fine, and it doesn’t sound nearly as bad as it looks... but from the boozed-up hoedown of ’Up All Night’ through the jazzy cabaret stylings of ‘Disgrace’ to the hillbilly country of ‘The Neighbour’s Rooster’ it’s pretty all nasty.
Something Blue Online
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