How are you doing?

The Front Lawn - Songs From The Front Lawn   (1989) ***

Nominated by: Kevy

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  Andy

Let's start with the obvious stand out track - Andy. It's brilliant. One of the main reasons being that it stands up to repeat listens - it never gets old for me. That heart-felt slow reveal is without the kind of smart arse grinning cynicism that a few of the other Sinclair dominated songs have. Justifiably, it is seen as one of the greatest NZ songs ever.

Never fear - thanks to Don McGlashan's presence, there are a few other beauties on this debut. Notably Claude Rains, and Tomorrow Night.

I do find Harry Sinclair's delivery a bit smarmy so I'm less inclined to his material. Theme (from the lounge bar) is an example - the rinky dink music suits the idea of a lounge bar in the imagination but it ultimately feels rinky dink.

The idea for How Are You Doing? feels like a logical extension of some characters from Walkshort - a very cleverly filmed NZ short film The Front Lawn made a couple of years before. But it doesn't really work as a song.

The rest are so so as songs. The problem at times is the music is mixed down a lot, Harry's vocals are not as strong as Don's, and the actual songs feel like works in progress. But, hey! This was their debut, so some slack is called for here.

Overall, The Front Lawn are kiwi as - the vocal tics and the subject matter, that I can identify with as a kiwi, mark them out as a lovely little backwater bach that I visit from time to time.

Certainly Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement were paying close attention to McGlashan and Sinclair.  

Okay - I'm off to listen to Andy again. 

And the lights come on

Don McGlashan - Bright November Morning (2022) ****

Nominated by: K Simms

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  Song For Sue

While visiting Gisborne last year, I bought a vinyl copy of Don's latest album from Spellbound Wax Company. Since then, I've listened to the record a lot, and even managed to score a few of his earlier solo albums.

Like the Arsenal, he's riding the crest of an artistic wave at the moment with a strong set of songs and performances throughout Bright November Morning. 

Its songs have some lovely variety: there are the contemplative ones (Sunscreen) mixed in with his usual observational songs. There's even a dose of righteous anger along the way (John Bryce).

One of his strongest features is his very distinctive voice - whether it be in the young Blam Blam Blam days or as leader of The Mutton Birds and now as a solo performer. Somehow, he's managed to look after his voice well through the years.

I don't think there's a bad song on this set, but there are a coupler of weaker ones that mean it's not quite a 5 star effort. Shackleton is a tad dreary and All The Goodbyes In The World is average (a lot of repetition!)

High points for me are John Bryce and Song For Sue. Both contain great emotional energy. I especially rate Song For Sue. Initially the 'heads/meds' rhyme was a bit jarring, but it's now inducing a wry smile. It's a song that gets better and better with every listen, reminds me a bit of Prince's Sometimes It Snows In April.

The last song, Start Again, is well placed (the sequencing on the whole is another of the album's strengths) as it sums up his state of mind well. I also like the way it suggests a return to the beginning (and opportunity to start again from track one) with its pace and nautical themes.  

All up - a mighty album!