Calamateur -‘Each Dirty Letter’ (self-released)
It was long been one of my Achilles Heels that i try and give people the benefit of the doubt. Extending this to giving this latest album by Calamateur a second listen has shown me why this is a weakness, not a strength.
Two tracks in – ‘Change this world’ and ‘Banoffee’ – the album feels perfectly pleasant, but the nagging thought remains that there really isn’t much substance, though the third track has a female vocal on it which adds some (by now much-needed) variety.
By the fourth track, boredom really is setting in. By now, scratching around for something to say, I note that the melodies are ‘nice enough’ but this is done by so many singer-songwriters of both sexes. It’s AOR that’s bordering on MOR. The seventh track sees this album grating on my nerves and the attempt to rock out -briefly- is not very convincing. The nagging thought occurs that this is taking up valuable space on my iPod which has not yet got the latest Vaselines LP on it. Hell, if the songs you hear on commercial radio are anything to go by, there is more variety on the average album by any boy band.
Having reached the end of the album I feel that this is inexcusably bland and its’ very inoffensiveness is highly offensive. My ears feel assaulted. There really is no excuse for this waste of an album. Just go away.
1/2 -and that’s being generous.
Each Dirty Letter is out now.