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Crikey, did someone say melancholy. I was quite chipper when I popped this one on. By the end I had succumbed to flannelette pyjamas, a hot water bottle and a photo album of my lost youth.
Aqualung is the creative vehicle for Matt Hales, a British singer / songwriter who has been around for a few years now. Hales’ profile has benefited over time from having his music utilised by both a popular Volkswagen commercial and numerous film / TV spots.
Unfortunately on his latest effort, Memory Man, you get the sense of someone who is a little devoid of new ideas. This is surprising given that his last album of new material surfaced at the latter end of 2003.
Memory Man starts off well enough. ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Pressure Suit’ are two fine slivers of atmospheric guitar pop. The latter is particularly strong, striking the right balance between the mood, lyrics and pace of a song - Hale’s fragile vocals also sit easily here.
But then things start to go awry. Tracks such as ‘Something to Believe In’, ‘Glimmer’ and ‘Vapour Trail’ are nice enough – but scratch below the surface and it just doesn’t feel like there is anything there. There is a predictability in the lyrics that indicates a lack of emotional investment in the songs – songs which are clearly meant to reach you in your deepest, most reflective state, just don’t measure up. Like ‘Outside’ for example;
“Shine your light on me and I’ll shine my light on you,
Shine my light on you if you shine your light on me,
Shine your light on me and I’ll shine my light on you…”
I felt like I was in the middle of a “No, you hang-up” conversation.
Occasionally Hales does try to break away from the acoustic strummings that pervade. ‘Black Hole’ looks to experiment with loops and electronica, with a fair modicum of success I might add. However it isn’t until the final song, ‘Broken Bones’, that you are drawn in again. The first verse of emotive brit-pop delivered through radio static, before the sweet, piano led finale. It is always good to leave people on a high and with this track Memory Man at least achieves that.
There is no mistaking that this is a mood album, but you are just left with the feeling that the emotions within are contrived, and if I’ve learnt one thing from Dr Phil, it’s best to be genuine when it comes to emotions.
Essential Tracks
Cinderella
Pressure Suit
Broken Bones
Full Track Listing
1. Cinderella (4:37)
2. Pressure Suit (4:56)
3. Something To Believe In (3:38)
4. Glimmer (4:00)
5. Vapour Trail (5:42)
6. Rolls So Deep (4:27)
7. The Lake (4:26)
8. Black Hole (5:04)
9. Outside (3:56)
10. Garden Of Love (5:55)
11. Broken Bones (3:42)
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