The Ayrtime.org Digital E.P. - Alasdair Roberts

Track list:

1. Babylon
2. Little Sir Hugh
3. Lord Ronald
4. The Calfless Cow

Running time: 16 minutes
Released: 2010

This a free digital-only EP available here. 

 

I have apparently racked up 9 scrobbles of these tracks without ever realising it or any of them sinking in so this is pretty much like a first (and possibly last) look.

I do not recall what exactly got me to pick up music by Alasdair Roberts. It may have been an appearance on the BBC's Transatlantic Sessions, perhaps but I might be pulling that out of my behind. I do not have much by him and have generally found him slightly too dry for my taste - simple and plain guitar and him singing in a voice that does not entirely sit well with me. That pretty much describes Babylon to a T - the song does nothing for me and his too-quick progression from line to line, as good as joining them together helps un-sell me fast.

Little Sir Hugh is more promising, a different tone and a slower, more structured vocal give this a more full, rounded sound despite the same minimalist approach. I actually like this song, and the more intricate and stronger guitar of the bridge just confirms this impression. Roberts' voice carries an edge that is tough to appreciate but to give him his due it works with certain tones, bleaker and darker themes suit his plaintive style whilst with more melodic or lighter songs it grates. Lord Ronald gives it too much space, for example, and I find that it sets my teeth on edge. Whilst the song is pretty dark, the instrumentation is not - lightly picked and with no backing it gives him the rope his voice needs to hang him from the tree of my disinterest.

The final song here is The Calfless Cow, which I have to say is a crap song title. It is a short number (sub 2 minutes) that has a nicer guitar part again. Unlike Little Sir Hugh though, on this occasion the improved instrumentation does not offset the element of Roberts' voice that wears upon me, so it will be joining Lord Ronald in Babylon away from my machine. Little Sir Hugh can stay with me.

That concludes my posting for 2014, and concludes the selection of albums, EPs and individual tracks listed under A in my Windows Media Player library. In the last 4 1/2 months I have managed 95 listens for this project - significantly less than 10% of the total. I am pleased to have got this far and still maintain the desire to continue. Looking ahead to B I can see some favourites coming up, as well as a load of random bits and bobs and the first occasions where I am likely to tinker with the order for reasons other than new purchases. Roll on 2015, and Happy New Year to the world.