Mister Fusty – Honest Blundering (2006)
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Review by Jamie Lyon
Back in 2000, when Damon Gough released the first Badly Drawn Boy disc The Hour of Bewilderbeast, much was made of his fascination with Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. It seems he was quite taken with the idea that he could do so much with only a simple 4-track recording. Fast forward seven years, and we hear Rob Gibson, aka Mr. Fusty, also apparently smitten with a four-track recorder, and on a mission to create the perfect music for a drive across Nebraska.

To be sure, this music is very British, and would probably make wonderful background music for a film. The best point of reference I could give is that it sounds like Badly Drawn Boy without the vocals. It’s pleasant enough, but it can get a little tiring at times (sort of like the trek between Lincoln and Omaha).

One truly standout track is “Mavis Enderby” (download), which just feels like a song you’d want playing if you were having a truly great morning Á¢€” it just makes you feel good hearing it.

This disc is predominantly keyboards with a little guitar thrown in, as well as an interesting use of breathing as a rhythm instrument on the track “Brighton Glock” (download).

Overall, Honest Blundering is pleasant background music, not quite smooth jazz, but close! Not recommended for listening while driving across great spaces of the Great Plains. Á¢€”JL

Mister Fusty on MySpace

About the Author

Jeff Giles

Jeff Giles is the founder and editor-in-chief of Popdose and Dadnabbit, as well as an entertainment writer whose work can be seen at Rotten Tomatoes and a number of other sites. Hey, why not follow him at Twitter while you're at it?

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