Search - East River Pipe :: Mel

Just beautiful

David Unsworth | Hythe, Kent United Kingdom | 10/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is very special. Above all Fred Cornog's albums this one shines out. "The club isn't open" is an amazing and brief song but other songs on here are transformational.

"Take back the days" is just wonderful. There is a sadness here, of course. Fred depicts the sad side of life, but there is such beauty that the best songs face loss and bring redemption. There is something about Fred... he communicates recovery in almost every song.

His voice is a little reminiscant of John Cale, or Lennon, but has a frailty that fits his personal vision. The recordings are perfection, too. How he makes this sound in his apartment is beyond me.

Another thing I love is the way he doesn't waste his breath. "The club isn't open" would be twice as long if another band made it. They'd probably repeat all three verses. Instead, at one minute 48, it is a shard of perfection.

So, I love this record. I think that, if you don't like this album, you won't like anything else by Fred. It doesn't get much better than this. But if you love this record, you will love all his work. "The Gasoline Age" is very haunting, and has some of his most affecting lyrics, and "Poor Fricky" "Goodbye California" and so on are so powerful.

I've lent this album to people of all ages and all musical persuasions and its rare I find someone who doesn't like it. My children like it, my mum likes it, my colleagues at work like it and my friend's mum likes it. The tunes are simple and there is great pop here too, but it is tender and vulnerable, and worth listening to."