(Mistletone Records)

Let’s stay on this progression another five

Sprawling, intensive and vastly immense are a few ways to describe Ross McLennan’s Sympathy For The New World. An album of quietly sung vocals and chasms of quiet charm, this dark release shines (or is that dims?) at its best when one’s full attention is given to it. Consistently, nearly each song reverberates under the same notion of gently plucked guitars, whispered vocals and an accentuated sense of melancholy. However, the drawn out nature of both the album as a whole and its formative parts diminishes the stronger points of this release. For while the slow progression of the album allows the songs to grow and build, too regularly the listener is left waiting. That is, waiting for something to happen – for those incredible parts that lay far too dormant. The album doesn’t always slowly drag, as oddly titled rock song Christian Love Made A Monkey Out Of Me attests, showcasing Mclennan’s ability to swagger just that little bit more.

DAVID FANNON

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