(Keytone/AIR)

Barefoot bandits.

Despite being labelled acoustic roots music, Tim Loydell And The Deckchairs land closer to Pete Yorn’s moody, anthemic-leanings than the sparse, campfire-style of Jack Johnson. Loydell’s voice is rough enough to offset the smoothness he wrings out of his 12-string guitar, while The Deckchairs compliment his songs with reverb-laden slide guitar and a tight rhythm section. Loydell sometimes strays too far from song-craft to indulge in technical flair that, whilst impressive, ultimately detracts from the songs themselves. This is most evident on the instrumental Tree Of Our Forefathers and the nine-minute plus closing track Rainsong. A better reflection of his strengths is Morning Star, the most robust composition on offer and also the most tightly arranged. These tracks manage to showcase the musical abilities of the band but more focus on their otherwise impressive songs would yield a stronger studio effort. Aside from this qualm, it is still impressive.

MATT HICKEY

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