Gillam's thoughtful music dances around folk, skips passed indie and stops short of pop. Utilising great sounds from some of the lesser used traditional instruments, Gillam brings new heart and soul to nu-folk tradition.
Play 90 second soundbite of 'Shouting At The Dark' @ 'CD quality'
Gillam's thoughtful music dances around folk, skips passed indie and stops short of pop. Utilising great sounds from some of the lesser used traditional instruments, Gillam brings new heart and soul to nu-folk tradition.
Individual but compelling, Worcestershire's Tony Gillam challenges genre normality by refusing to conform to pre-determined guidelines or commercial restrictions. Gillam reminds me of Michael Chapman with his ability to take acoustic 'folk' tinged songs closer to (soft) rock without losing the earthy feel and grounded homeliness. 'Unusual' only goes part way to describing Gillam's bold approach. 'Unusual' only just prepares the listener for Gillam's unfathomable style. 'Unusual' is pretty much where Tony Gillam casts his musical net and 'unusual' is pretty much what he lays down at your feet. Tony Gillam's songs are well conceived and impressively crafted; sparsely instrumentally populated but all the better for the 'space' between the lines, Gillam never once crowds his words with over-indulgent, showy musicianship. 'Untangle The Strings' is blessed with originality and overflowing with clever dynamic juxtaposition. Simplistic yet somehow complex rhythms uphold Gillam's honest vocal work resulting in a sound that's somewhere between Syd Barrett and David Bowie - a really strange but very likeable kinda 'noise' that's as unique as it is scratchy. Gillam's whole approach seems to rely on his ability to make it all happen in the most laid back way.
'Untangle The Strings' by Tony Gillam is very pleasurable for its one-of-a-kindness but I can't help but feel that the actual recording and production just miss the mark somewhat - I'd like Gillam to work harder towards acquiring a cleaner sound rather than this almost 'live' but honest scratchiness. But, that's my only criticism about 'Untangle The Strings'!! 'Untangle The Strings' by Tony Gillam shows great potential; Gillam can clearly write a decent enough song, he obviously knows his way around most string driven, guitar type instruments and he's certainly got an ear for the musically organic, the obtuse and/or the tangential! 'Untangle The Strings' by Tony Gillam works well on most fronts; it's unique, it's clever, it's thought provoking. However, I can't quite see Tony Gillam becoming a household name with this kind of folk angularity - cultish rather than truly commercial, 'Untangle The Strings' by Tony Gillam will appeal to the more open-minded, those with a penchant for experimentation rather than normality.
|
|
