Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Artorius Revisited
EP review
On a bleak October morning, Artorius comes to visit. It's taken a while, but The Red Elastic Band have arrived, and they have prevailed.
On the back of two very well received sold out shows in Liverpool and Manchester over the past year or so, Mick Head has seemingly found a new streak of form.
The EP, featuring a wealth of talent in the form of Shack/Cast member Pete Wilkinson returning on Bass Guitar, Sam Christie at the drumkit, The Mono LPs' Vicky Mutch providing Cello, Andy Diagram and Martin Smith on Trumpets, producer Steve Powell on Lead Guitar, and Simon James on Flute, rounding out a solid ensemble, with Mick providing vocals and guitar.
Bookended by two short instrumental tracks 'PJ' and 'Daytime Nighttime', this provides a feel of the EP, a structure, that it should be listened to from start to finish, no interruptions, no different order.
'Cadiz' already a firm fan favourite after sporadic past Red Elastic Band performances, the backing ensemble and strings providing Mick a pedestal on which to put across this ballad, as he hopes for an accomplice on the way to Cadiz, 'will you be my diamond ring, my suitcase and my wife?'
'Lucinda Byre' gifts us with one of Mick's best lyrics of 'you're gonna need better wood to crucify me..', a sentiment we probably should all aspire to and the song itself forever twisting and turning, accompanied with a haunting cello piece.
The highlight is the song 'Artorius Revisited' itself, with a structure in which the song is reminiscent of 'Daniella' from H.M.S Fable, before the drums and violin's take over, with the repeated line of 'I'm gonna need your love' in a flurry of noise before fading out, giving us no time to catch our breath before heading into the acoustic guitar urgency of 'Newby Street', reminds us of how great Mick's sense of rhythm is with past work, and with the addition of the trumpet, is instantly reminding of Shack's 'Meant To Be' and tracks from The Pale Fountains 2nd album.
A solid release from Mick, clocking in at just under fifteen minutes, leaves a short and sweet, sadly beautiful EP in which Mick has put his heart into, and vocally sounding as good as he did 10 years ago, combining and channelling all of his past releases with The Strands, Shack and The Pale Fountains into this EP, leaving the listener hoping for a full LP release in the offing, and awaiting his sold out show at The Kazimier on October 18th.
He's no longer wandering the Streets of Kenny or sailing the H.M.S Fable, but Artorius has visited and he is here to stay.
Welcome back, Mick.
More Information at:
http://www.michaelhead.net/portfolio/artorius-revisited/
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