Ever got that Hollywood cliché feeling of the need to sit in front of a burning fire on a cold winter’s night, reminiscing about an old flame, no pun intended, with a glass of wine for company?
Well this could truly be the soundtrack to that movie.
Ford opens the album with a lovely violin. A sense of class never really leaves during the album, in contrast to its title song, Go to Hell.
For a while we reel off the time during Decimate that is split into piano and percussion, and the evident clapping of hands. Hello, is this Kate Nash? By no means - but that is a good thing. It certainly brings some life to it.
Once again the violin is back with the words: “Decimate my inhibitions and I can’t be saved. Lets take a walk on the broken glass.” With sure repetition the point is rammed home, whether we would like it or not. All of this is done to a catchy background, so as to not make us feel so bad about the lyrics.
This is short lived as we are back were we seem destined to stay, in the slow rambles of the reasoning behind life, on I’m Alright Now, with the line of: “These drugs seem to promise you the earth.” Not that we don’t like be told the truth but only occasionally, but too much and people soon get bored.
There are certainly beautiful instrumentals used nonstop throughout and delightfully instilled during Song for the Road. This time the sound of the grand piano is dominant. It’s lovely, but far too much like it should be released as a Christmas song.
Picture the snow falling, singing in front of the camera, the Christmas tree lights twinkling in the foreground, log fire in the background. “The bells are ringing out for Christmas day”, anyone?
Train sees Ford sing: “Take me back please my lover”, which conflicts his experiences of young love, and so too often the dramas of it. Occurring perhaps too often, I asked myself, ‘Haven’t I heard this song before?’ There doesn’t feel like real individualism in these songs.
We enter Requiem and are this time treated to brass accompaniments to enhance listening pleasure. Settling into another one of his mellow treats we fall and, Bang! Out of nowhere comes an explosion of noise, drums, guitars, saxophone, and more brass that to the trained ear will be more apparent. There’s even the slight hint of harmonica as well.
Suddenly we’re overwhelmed with sounds, a burst of enthusiasm before the calm settles back in for And So You Fell. Ford does what he appears to do best here, with the line “A heart so heavy with the drink”. It soon follows yet again the calm and elegance that has become so apparent throughout.
David Ford hasmade this album one of standout moments rather than songs, seconds of intrigue, rather than songs that will hold the attention for its entirety.
