a cross between David Bowie and Elvis Costello and with a bit of John Otway thrown in, Powne's catchy tunes are kinda pop-sided 'observational/personal experience' nu-poetry pieces set to a gentle indie rock accompaniment.
Play 90 second soundbite of 'What A Lovely Story' @ 'CD quality'
a cross between David Bowie and Elvis Costello and with a bit of John Otway thrown in, Powne's catchy tunes are kinda pop-sided 'observational/personal experience' nu-poetry pieces set to a gentle indie rock accompaniment.
Powne's impassioned vocals suggest total belief in the words; his sentiments honest and ingrained. Powne has a quirky style about him but it's that individualism that sets him apart from most of his contemporaries. The name, The Stress Of Leisure, I'm sure, is derived from the heart and 'Hour To Hour' seems to have similar connections/meanings; this is Ian Powne simply being Ian Powne, The Stress Of Leisure being true to name and identity!!
I have to say, 'Hour To Hour' is incredibly contagious; there's a distinct feeling of kiddish playfulness, youthful attitude and mature commentary here, real heart-on-the-sleeve tales of reality, frustration, and ambition. It's a cheeky sounding album that's got loads of great hooky melodies, choruses and refrains - all-in-all, a nice, honest, homely feel but with real presence and passion.
Many of the tracks here work brilliantly on a commercial footing; they'd make excellent stand-alone singles. Others are more intense and distinctly album pieces! The Stress Of Leisure pretty much nail it as Powne and a few instrumentalist 'friends' lay down some pretty sweet stuff and contrive to make this a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. 'Hour To Hour' by The Stress Of Leisure is exciting for its easy but catchy undercurrent. It's really a case of take 'Hour To Hour' as you find it - enjoy it for it's vocal quirkiness, revel in it's simplicity and indulge yourself in it's cynicism. At the end of the day it don't matter a toss what the 'content' is - 'Hour To Hour' by The Stress Of Leisure is a really entertaining and an extremely comfortable work. Powne has created a little beaut here that defies categorisation but is all the better for its genre-defying qualities. I've enjoyed my short time with The Stress Of Leisure and I'll be spending a few more hours yet with this crackin' album.
|
|
