The Small Heath Book Of The Dead is the latest album by San Francisco based Brummie Matthew Edwards who pays tribute to his childhood home on this wonderful album, recorded at Stompke Sound and Get Reel in San Francisco CA and Expanding Sky in Maine. It was mixed by John Rivers at Woodbine Street Studios in Leamington Spa, England. With a supporting cast of Isaac Bonnell, Daniel Fabricant, Paul Comaskey, Tom Heyman, Karina Denike, Charith Premawardhana, Diane Grubbe, Andres Reyes Gomez, Angeline Morrison, Katie Chan.
The album opens with John Betjeman that opens with the line that Simone De Beauvoir lived round here, but not with Nelson Algren or John Betjeman but with jangly acoustic guitar and the need to form a band, finding a way out of Birmingham, hoping to discover the Dead Sea Scrolls and other mysteries from darkened doorways in Small Heath.
New English Library the new young Turks and all the evil ways they turn Ted onto, how can he translate Chaucer's tales into the world of spliffs and jazz mags he now lives in, well through the medium of lap steel guitar of course, it solves all his mysteries, a perfect cipher for all that contraband he hopes to keep secret.
The Red Graves is far more Corinne than Vanessa and all the tortured twists of that family's infamy played out in the red tops and broadsheets equally, what ever happened to poor Johnny and all his misplaced lust and listless prognostications, should we feel sympathy for them or just look on with contempt at how the mighty fall into the same traps like us lesser mortals.
Bad Timing is almost what I had with this review, but mistakes have been corrected and Ted may have learnt the truth and married well, but well Bad Timing tore things apart, due to the ne'er-do-well's he had following his every move, this has the feelings of bitter regret at what caused him to be cast adrift for ten years, can he ever get back to safe harbour once more, through the vehicle of that carefully picked guitar solo.
The Small Heath Book Of The Dead has Matthew underlined in red as he managed to escape Birmingham's clutches, chasing his own American dream, this is full of memories of a misspent youth in and around the bull ring, all that it lured you into, alongside a sax solo and insistent piano.
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Experimental Theatre was playing with his brain like the sensi he was smoking, wishing her well on her way to rep, a better life away from him, deep in the arms of Jarry and the theatrical prophets, while he slowly tires of all the thoughts that never quieten in his mind, no matter how gently the strings wash over him.
Harriet High is an acoustic strum hoping to persuade Harriet to take a trip to Bohemia with him, while the flute tries to explain the truth to her, getting her back to Birmingham once more, no matter how far apart they have drifted.
Matthew Edwards Vs Himself in a never to be repeated bout, the barrelhouse piano and deep dive into his personal battles, how he self-sabotages his own progress, will his current philosophy win out over his previous ideas, will he be a Knockout Artist or another kind of perpetual loser.
The album closes with Old Albion a redolent lap steel and acoustic lament for the auld country and all its horrors and delights, can he find its principals close to Mr Edwards theatre, while he sits at home in his bedroom listening to records hoping to find himself.
Find out more https://matthewedwardsandtheunfortunates.bandcamp.com/album/the-small-heath-book-of-the-dead https://toogoodtobetruerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-small-heath-book-of-the-dead???https://www.facebook.com/matthew.edwards.92754
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