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James Angell's Private Player
Ooh Love is fragile pop with somewhat transformed vocals (this is how it seems to me), sometimes doubled, with piano, synth effects and overall a strong melancholy feel in the line of the sad songs of Radiohead. There is also something pretty estranging about the performance, something shimmering and paranoid. The performance is strong, passionate in a way, but in his own way. One can hear family resemblances to such artists as Jeff Buckley (or, actually, his father comes closer), although more in the sense that they do whatever they do in their own recognizable way and not literal semblances.
Who's Waking Me Up is a melodic and rhythmic one, with a very laid back atmosphere. Again the dark piano tones ring out build the atmosphere. Again, a distinctive song with a good groove and distinctive varied vocals, also in the way they are recorded.
Ed Blue Bottle has low vocals and an easy going bluesy gait. The vocals are maybe a bit in the line of Somewhere Down The Crazy River by Robbie Robbertson. It enjoys the same atmosphere. The guitar work and keyboards become quite scary later on. Call Off The War opens with keyboards, among which are also Twin Peaks like ones. This is a vague song with estranging backwards effects and bleepy keys throughout. Mesmerizing.
Picture Perfect continues the line, this time opening with strange vocal samples. Does he want to evoke music from the thirties? Could be. Singing is done in both my ears but in a scattered, arbitrary fashion. The piano is again the leading instrument. There is something of John Lennon in here.
Treat Song opens with bleepy keys, a bit frantic and arbitrary. For the remainder this is a friendly melancholy song with accessible vocals and a treated trumpet. Dear Dying Friend opens harrowingly with industrial effects. A slow dragging track with a loud pounding chorus like thing. For some reason I have to think of King Crimson here.
Sweet Bell opens with spoken vocals from a little girl. For the remainder this is a rather vague song with high vocals. Somewhat soundtrackish, lots of keyboards, it stays vague throughout.
Conclusion:
This is a very good album with distinctive singersongwriter stuff. The main instrument is the piano and the man's own voice, but with it and the keyboards he manages to build a special atmosphere that lovers of Radiohead are bound to like. Rock is thoroughly absent on this own, but an air of progressivity is present nonetheless.
