Whisperin' & Hollerin' were happy to jump in at the ground floor when David Gledhill's Sheffield troupe SLO-MO released their debut single, "Death Of A Raver" during the mists of 2002. Hung on a wonky'n'addictive Astrud Gilberto sample, it cast a cautionary eye over the Madchester scene from the late '80s/ early '90s (which Gledhill experienced for himself) and was a contender for one of the year's best singles into the bargain.
David's progress had been hampered a little by the usual industry hiccups, but now "Slo-Mo", his eponymous debut re-states his case with feeling and ensures you come away in no doubt of his ability to spin finely-wrought, experience-fuelled tales couples with cheekily seductive melodies.
It might sound a little unfair to say "his" as SLO-MO are very much a group for live work, featuring Kim Woodward (bass), drummer Lliam Oliver and keyboard player Tracey Wilkinson, but "Slo-Mo" itself is very much Gledhill's vehicle and shows that - if you have the required talent and invention - that getting back into the bedroom with your overflowing ideas still takes some beating.
Consequently, "Slo-Mo" is very much a pop record, albeit one touched by the heavy hand of hindsight. Gledhill's a fine, vivid lyricist, with a keen eye for detail and earthy, twist-in-the-tale vignettes. Rightly re-instated as album opener, "Death Of A Raver" remains catchier than fleas at the local dog pound, while the witty, but ultmately murderous "Girl From Alaska" again rifles the Astrud Gilberto/ Carlos Jobim songbook for inspiration.
The singles are by no means the only cards Gledhill and co have to play, though. "Slo-Mo" maintains the quality control with ease, with the escapism-fuelled everyman's song "Lost Stones", the clever, Hunter.S.Thompson -style "Junkie On A Fast Train" ("do not approach me, I'm a dope fiend, these mirror sunglasses simple hide that insanity" - great!) and the wrong-footingly mellifluous "Short Stories" all clocking in for high marks.
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Elsewhere, Gledhill tempers his skills in loops'n'samples with a penchant for dub reggae. The slippery skank of "The Goldfish And The Alligator" is a case in point, although "Love, Hate And Devotion" is probably better. For some reason its' kooky police storyboard and overall feel recall Fun Boy Three's mega "Farmyard Connection." That's a compliment, by the way.
In time-honoured tradition, he saves arguably the best for last, too. The dance-y, congas'n'acoustic soundscapes of "Boy From The City" crosses top form Shaun Ryder with "Mellow Gold"-era Beck to great effect and the poignant, closing "Tell Them I Had A Good Time" is perhaps the best track of all. Aided and abetted by majestic keyboards, Tracey Wilksinson's pretty flutes and mildly vocodered vocals, it's especially resonant bearing in mind it's a message to a real life girlfriend in the throes of a terminal illness.
"Slo-Mo", then, is a fine, inventive and multi-faceted opening gambit, serving immediate notice that another genius provincial maverick is in the area. Start rolling out the red carpets....
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