Now and again an album surprises you. You pop it on not expecting a great deal and end up playing it repeatedly for the next few hours. Stuart Robertson's debut is one such album.
It's a bright and breezy album of 11 piano led tracks, accompanied by a voice that's as warm and comforting as that late night cup of cocoa. Stuart's voice reminds you at times of Paul Heaton, when the Beautiful South singer is stretching himself in one of those lovely soulful moments.
Musically you're transported to the days of school assemblies, the music teacher playing the slightly out of tune old piano, this little blemish making it sound all the more wondrous. The piano veers from jaunty to rolling jazz sounds and takes in the eeriness that Tori Amos used to extract ('Glow') to the chirpy mood of Ben Folds ('Speedos'). He even takes time to sound as maudlin as REM can, Robertson's 'Reveal' being his counterpart to REM's Find The River'.
This is the sound of someone doing what he feels within, not being distracted by trends and therefore reaching into the depths of his soul and producing a wonderful album.
bbc.co.uk |
