'Black
The Sun' was always going to be a hard act to follow. It was the
record that Alex made up as he went, over and over. He couldn't
do it the same way again, and hasn't. What Alex Lloyd discovered
on the way through to the end of 'Black The Sun' was his own musical
language, through modern music technology, grounded in his love
for the Beatles. Interestingly while more-Beatles-than-McCartney
Neil Finn has headed down this same technology driven road, on this
new album Alex Lloyd heads in the other direction. Where on 'Black
The Sun' the songs shone through the 'sound' of the record, this
time the technology shines through the songs. Alex clearly hasn't
gone down the same road, because he didn't need to. He was able
to start with the songs and point them in the direction he has discovered
for himself. Doing it this way rather than the tense balancing act
between song and sound that 'Black The Sun' turned out to be 'Watching
Angels Mend' out to be a brighter, more colourful record, those
Beatles references more at peace with their environment. 'Black
The Sun' took two years to make, 'Watching Angels Mend' a quarter
of the time, less experimental more confident, less eccentic more
welcoming. Same artist, same intentions, different record. As it
should be.
'Black
The Sun' was always going to be a hard act to follow. It was the
record that Alex made up as he went, over and over. He couldn't
do it the same way again, and hasn't. What Alex Lloyd discovered
on the way through to the end of 'Black The Sun' was his own musical
language, through modern music technology, grounded in his love
for the Beatles. Interestingly while more-Beatles-than-McCartney
Neil Finn has headed down this same technology driven road, on this
new album Alex Lloyd heads in the other direction. Where on 'Black
The Sun' the songs shone through the 'sound' of the record, this
time the technology shines through the songs. Alex clearly hasn't
gone down the same road, because he didn't need to. He was able
to start with the songs and point them in the direction he has discovered
for himself. Doing it this way rather than the tense balancing act
between song and sound that 'Black The Sun' turned out to be 'Watching
Angels Mend' out to be a brighter, more colourful record, those
Beatles references more at peace with their environment. 'Black
The Sun' took two years to make, 'Watching Angels Mend' a quarter
of the time, less experimental more confident, less eccentic more
welcoming. Same artist, same intentions, different record. As it
should be.