Soot and Stars
I AM SOOT!
I figured since I've had positive feedback after exposing this artist to others it he deserves his own thread and a chance to get over with the other members!
The Album
Standing At The Sky's Edge
Richard Hawley started out his career in two successful groups The Longpigs and the more recognized Pulp. At the urging of Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker Richard released a four song EP to propel a solo career for himself. What Richard's career has consisted of until now is a voice suited for a crooner but with a psychedelic rockabilly heart. Just from a picture of him you get that vibe that's he a cross between James Dean, Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash and when you hear him in these early albums you hear it even more. Plus as wikipedia compares his style to Roy Orbison it's very evident as well. Here's a smattering of early tracks to get a picture:
Just Like The Rain, Coles Corner and Lady's Bridge
All of the album titles up to this point were related to Hawley's homegrounds of Sheffield with the title Standing At The Skies Edge referring to Skies Edge being an area of hills overlooking the center of the city. The cotent of this album was also close to home this time as Hawley was outraged at the Conservative politics of Britain and changed the whole tone of this album to fit his own state of mind. This album is guitar heavy and has a dark psychedelia in which Hawley sounds like he's invoking his own Shaman similar to another icon we all know.
Well does the album invoke positive or negative for the listener?
Album Review
I'll have to start by saying that the first classic rock band I clung to were The Doors (tied with CCR). They are still my favorite classic rock band. Honestly, I've never heard a musician or musicians even come close to that same vibe that Morrison and crew had like the countless ones that seem to be able to pull off their best Plant impersonations and others that seem to BE AC/DC note for note. The Doors had that spiritual transcendent escapist music and brilliant call to masses poetry all wrapped up in the charismatic prophet of Morrison. Vocally I've heard artist have that similar brooding tone of Morrison like Scott Stapp and even closer Scott Weiland. Creed never even came close musically and STP had their moments but by no stretch of the imagination could that output be considered spiritual and inward thinking. Then I heard a track by Richard Hawley that spun my head around:
I was browsing Spotify and they had a music page/App scattered with tracks and after going through two to three seconds of each I found one that made me stop in my tracks. What I heard was a slow unraveling dialogue with a beautiful entrancing dark timbre with the music slowly building like he was commading it. The drums start beating in a tribal rhythm and summons the guitars into a fuzz drenched iconic western sound. There are moments when I thought this was our generations version of the end but I also think there's an outlaw country vibe to this as well. When he says "Aaaaa-way" it's as if Johnny Cash joined The Doors in his later years. With all his influences though there's something all Hawley right here:
If "Standing At The Sky's Edge" is "The End" of the album this next track is it's "Break On Through". When you here "Won't You Follow Me Doooown" it's what Morrison would've sounded like with Joe Perry on guitar.
Down In The Woods
These are the strongest part of the album and not just for the that retro vibe. Richard still keeps the tone he wants in "Leave Your body Behind You" with what may be a track that's most identifiably his. Being that it's the next to last track it's like Hawley learned through the process to turn that corner and shape these sounds into his own monster. This is an awesome rocker:
[GROOVESHARK]36869781[/GROOVESHARK]
The weakest moment is when Hawley hasn't shaken off the style of his prior crooner allbum and has a track like this that sticks out like a sore thumb:
Don't Stare At The Sun
Even that is no blaring atrocity but there's something a little to AM radio about it for this collection. All in all, this could've been a top contender in my top forty if I had come across it earlier. There a strong 2/3's of this I really groove too and the rest may grow even more upon repeated listens. Honestly though this sticks out huge for the year and is a mindblowing unique creation for our time. No one is making music like this now and it really evoks an emotion that can be an important stamp for 2012!
