Davey, Alan: Electrum

Our readers may be familiar with bassist Alan Davey as a member of Hawkwind from 1984 to 1996 and from 2000 to 2007. As well as many other projects, Davey is also involved in the Hawkwind offshoot Hawkestrel, releasing five studio albums thus far. Davey also has a number of solo albums to his credit including his latest titled Electrum. Aside from playing most of the instruments Davey does have help from a few guests including:

Simon House (violin on “Gold ‘N’ Silver�)
Doug Walker (sound effects on “Electrum�)
Dr. Mark Goulding (fighter jet recording on “Beyond The Skyline�)

Electrum is his first solo album in eight years and I assert it was well worth the wait. Our journey into the cosmic void begins with the surprisingly tuneful “Gold ‘N’ Silver�, complete with a beginning synthetic sax salvo that easily reeled me in. Davey’s vocals are melodic and restrained, he really has not lost anything in that department. The more I listen the better this sounds, the guitars, the synths, and the vocals are irresistible. Some nice harmonica as well. Davey proves to be an excellent all around musician. The instrumental “Coin Of Alyattes� begins with spacey synths before the groove settles in with subtle hints of Eastern vibes, the guitar and synth lines flowing beautifully. Of course the mighty Hawkwind sound is always lurking just around the corner. The densely heavy “Dark Matter Of Time� is a real space rock mind warp with its swirling tripped out guitars, cool bass, and distant vocals while “Green Gold� offers more infectious guitar and synths with some adventurous softer sections adding some serious trippiness. The nine plus minute title track has plenty of time for Davey to explore different textures and sound palettes, his trippy guitar work being an absolute highlight.

Music veterans never cease to amaze me, still able to create impactful and highly creative musical statements. Such is the case with Electrum, a thought provoking work that should not be missed. Highly recommended!

Savant Guarde Records release.

Track Listing:
1. Gold ‘N’ Silver
2. Coin Of Alyattes
3. Dark Matter Of Time
4. Green Gold
5. Electrum
6. Beyond The Skyline
7. Paradise Found
8. Order Them Online
Bonus Tracks:
9. Cluster Vista
10. Dirty Bird

Added: September 7th 2025
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist @ Bandcamp
Hits: 148
Language: english

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