front cover on white

The music on this album is fantastic.  Great sounding; great arrangements, so many delicious nuances in each track – a gloriously lush album.  Good, strong lyrics abound – these are songs that show range of emotion and feeling; in a word, an adult album – a mature collection.  The lead vocals, however, are not my usual taste or preference, as they tend to veer too frequently into sing-speak and too dry.  That doesn’t mean I don’t like it – it works for these songs and the atmosphere on this album.  So while the songs hit many targets of what I like dead on, it has its slight distractions.  I say that before singling out individual tracks to get my one “criticism” of the record out of the way.

So looking at some of the songs on this 14-track set, “Majesty” leaps out at you with beauty, fullness and grandeur – chanting the refrain of “majesty” over and over with a lovely melody, it can send chills down your spine.  “Clear Your Mind”, I think, may be the standout – a gently chiming guitar figure carries the song with an upbeat tempo.  “Till My Dying Day” opens the album and immediately holds you in its grip; “No Time For Love” starts with a piano accompanying the vocals but then kicks in with a perfect pop backing (and I love the acoustic guitar strums that you not only hear but feel). “Another Year” has a “Mediterranean” feel (by virtue of its melody and tasteful use of mandolin and accordion); “Who Were You Baby?” has a visual lyric and a nice almost “sarcastic” feel.

Spottiswoode & His Enemies, who are New York based, are now on my short list to check out live.  I can only hope that with a collection of this quality, more people are introduced.  A fine, complete piece for all.

RELEASE DATE:  April 15th, 2014

http://www.spottiswoode.com/

About the Author

Rob Ross

Rob Ross has been, for good, bad or indifferent, involved in the music industry for over 30 years - first as guitarist/singer/songwriter with The Punch Line, then as freelance journalist, producer and manager to working for independent and major record labels. He resides in Staten Island, New York with his wife and cats; he works out a lot, reads voraciously, loves Big Star and his orange Gretsch. Doesn't that make him neat?

View All Articles