Roche Moutonnee

CD - Taking My Past Away

Play 90 second soundbite of 'To Be With Me' @ 'CD quality'

Although the original seeds may have been sown way back in the 70's, the music project that is Roche Moutonnee and the album, 'Taking My Past Away' are the brainchild, if not love-child' of Peter May, owner and Producer of independent recording studios 'MayB Studio' in Pershore, Worcestershire. The intrepid Mr.May decided to return to his rockin' musical roots and finally put together an album of home-grown works that've slowly evolved and grown over recent times.

Calling on the resources of a few musician 'friends' May finally got down to business in 2006 and started to get the tracks down in the studio, fitting session after session into his already busy 'life-blood' recording schedule. 'Taking My Past Away' is the result; a homely and quite eclectic collection of May originals, featuring May himself on guitars, that, I guess from the album's title, tell much about May's varied life and career and act as a musical full-stop (or at least comma) in his development as a 'singest/songest'.

Generally on the lighter side of rock and including some impressive arrangements, 'Taking My Past Away' takes the listener through several shades of aural titillation - from the punchy slow rocker and annoyingly catchy 'Breaking My Back' to the rock-ballad of 'Forever' to the reggae influenced 'She'll Be Gone' through to the Brian Wilson-esque 'To Be With Me' with a couple of REM type things in between - quite a startling variation but all done with focus, sensitivity and poise. 'Taking My Past Away' surely must give May a good, satisfied feeling as he listens back to what he and his 'friends', Jon Branchett (vocals & drums), Tom Pope (lead guitar), Kate Bonney (backing vocals), Jennie May (vocals) and Dave Pugh (keyboards) have achieved together. I wonder if he'll take this on the road!! Could be interesting.

'Taking My Past Away' by Roche Moutonnee is never gonna be 'big' but, it's a noble work and it'll give loads of pleasure to those that manage to come into contact with it. It doesn't actually push at many musical boundaries but rather utilises many well tried and tested musical themes. As a truly independent work I think Peter May has done a bloody good job here - should he give up his day job though? Well, perhaps not just yet but, perhaps Roche Moutonnee could become a rewarding and tidy little side-line for Head Of MayB! Good, all round entertaining stuff that should encourage Peter May to 'get on with the next one'!

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