Bruce Soord has been a busy man lately, not only fronting The Pineapple Thief but also doing some notable production & engineering work as well. Somehow he's managed to squeeze in his first solo album as well, which is self-titled and out now on Kscope. Completely written & performed by Soord himself, with a little help from guitarist Darran Charles, this debut is somewhat of a departure from what we've come to expect from The Pineapple Thief. Sure, Soord's lush, pop vocal delivery is still in fine form, but the arrangements are much more laid back, lsparser, and less upbeat. While "The Odds" does have a bouncy dance beat, there's not much else to the arrangement other than some crisp guitar, drums, and a smattering of keys. For the most part it's the vocals that drive this and just about every song here. "Buried Here" is a dark, somber piece, with some sad Mellotron creeping around in the background, and the light, airy, somewhat jazzy "A Thousand Daggers" sees some acoustic guitar, piano, and sax float around the mix. Both "Willow Tree" and "Born in Delusion" bridge the gap between folk and pop, while the ethereal "Familiar Patterns" hints at Pink Floyd and Genesis, but never quite gets there, despite a tasty guitar solo and some dreamy keyboards. The two part "Field Day" doesn't make much of an impact, nor does "Leaves Leave Me", but as lush atmospheric pop, it's not half bad.
The talent of Soord goes without question, as he's been a part of the prog/pop scene now for quite a few years, but this debut solo album is almost too laid back, at least to these ears anyway. The vocals are outstanding, but I was left wanting to hear more from the arrangements numerous times throughout the album. I hate to call an album 'boring', but at times this one definitely borders on just that. Still, fans of Bruce Soord will no doubt want to hear this, and certainly there's an audience for a lush, dreamy mix of pop and prog like what we have on display here. The Pineapple Thief though it definitely is not, so proceed with caution if that is what you are expecting.
Track Listing
- Black Smoke
- Buried Here
- The Odds
- A Thousand Daggers
- Willow Tree
- Born In Dilusion
- Field Day Part 1
- Field Day Part 2
- Familiar Patterns
- Leaves Leave Me
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