Gary Go

Decca Music Group

Street Date: September 15, 2009

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I know nothing about Gary Go. Diddly squat. So let’s read the press release. He’s from London and wears glasses. We find out that The Sun thinks he sounds like “…the musical love child of Chris Martin [of Colplay] and David Gray[.]” As you know from reading my other reviews, I’m a fan of David Gray, and frankly, only the first Coldplay album. But there’s the undeniably “big” sound to the band’s songs, which gets them lots of press and things like Gwyneth Paltrow.

Go, it turns out, is the son of a Muppets producer, which means he’s probably naturally an artistic guy—I wonder if Dr. Teeth is a fan? Also, he’s influenced by writer Paul Auster, which I must say, impresses me greatly. This is the second artist, who I’ve reviewed in recent years, who has named Auster as an influence (the other is Fionn Regan, who mentions Timbuktu, which I still haven’t read, in his song “Put a Penny in the Slot” on his debut album). If you’ve never read Auster, he’s a native Brooklyn guy, who has a real knack for narrative and exquisite hold of plot. But it’s the former that makes Auster, in my opinion, and that’s a solid influence if you’re a songwriter, looking to grab your audience through its headphones. It has a lot to do with narrative.

Also, of note, I read, is that “eclectic songstress Carina Round” sings on this album. Now, about six or seven years ago, when I was first starting out in the City as a journalist, I wrote a kind review of Round’s first album. I still remember it clearly: raw, Zeppelin-esque, bluesy and her voice was just dark chocolate. The album is called The Disconnection (2004). Buy it today.

On the other hand, years after writing that review—which I unfortunately can’t find right now on the Internet—I re-explored Round, with a review in American Songwriter of her follow-up, 2006’s Slow Motion Addict, produced by Alanis Morissette knob-turner Glen Ballard. Here’s a reproduction of the unedited copy I filed to the magazine:

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“If you were lucky enough to stumble across Carina Round’s debut album, The Disconnection, you would’ve been pleasantly surprised by this British songinatrix’s music, which sounds like Polly Jean Harvey, Robert Plant, and Fiona Apple engaged in a titillating threesome of sound. On her follow up, she has taken on the polysaccharine production of Glen Ballard (best known for his work with Alanis Morrissette) and firmly supplanted her stripped-bare loveliness with a created-on-an-Apple pop sheen. “Stolen Car” is Round (via Ballard) doing her best Pink impression. “Same Girlfriend” sounds like Gwen Stefani’s reaction to finding Gavin Rossdale in bed with Avril Lavigne. Round is at her best in slow motion—Ballard hardly seems to exploit her sultry sex-drenched cabaret alter-ego, which she only hints at on “Come To You” and the title track. And how ironic is it, then, that the strongest tune on this slumped-over sophomore effort shares the name of her first album?”

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As you can tell, when you’re only allotted 150 words to write a game-changing review for an artist, you have to be blunt. ‘Cause you’re trying to tell someone whether or not they should bother listening, and that’s a decently unfriendly job, if the music isn’t up to par (as this album’s was). I gave the album just two stars.

But I’ll be interested to see how Go works Round into this album. Round we Go, with this record; right Round.

First Impression(s): This is definitely pop for a British market—American audiences might have a hard time wrapping their head around it. Does sound like Coldplay, but the later, more pretentious version. I actually like this guy’s voice more than Chris Martin’s—it’s less douchey. The production is sparkling, which most likely means meticulous work but auto-tuning and that element of inauthenticity, which makes me double-take, no matter how gifted the artist. Let’s say I’m a music traditionalist. The first song’s lyrics are repetitive for hook’s say—and it takes way too long to get from verse one/two to the chorus, which is decent. Where, I wonder, is the David Gray that The Sun saw in this guy? David Gray is actually an amazing lyricist, who at times goes rotten, but is mostly amazing. Gary Go is pretty much regularly rotten lyrics-wise, the second song included. The songs are decently catchy, but I’m just not digging on the lyrics/arrangements: They’re both extremely generic. Which I suppose might be good for an American audience, after all (you’ll find that I give American ears very little credit). Fourth track, we get more whispy, airy shit in the intro (like track one). Crap. Poor effect. Don’t use it again, Gary. Don’t Go there. (Regarding the track, my girlfriend just said, “This track is horrible.”)

Conclusion(s): Between the time when I wrote the above just-having-heard-the-album appraisal and now, I’ve done several more spins of the album, and it’s had the same effect on me: Large, overproduced sound, which could work really well on mainstream radio; but tiny songwriting/lyrical talent. You’ll probably dig it if you’re a Coldplay fan—probably less if you’re a David Gray fanatic.

I’ve also read that one of the songs on the album was conceived completely on an iPhone, which although mildly intriguing, is pretty fucking ridiculous. With all the gimmicks one can pick for becoming a well-known artist, phone production doesn’t come to mind as the top pick. Not to mention the fact that it’s just fucking ridiculous recording anything on your phone. Sure, the technology’s there, I’m sure, but why even try it? Is your laptop or desktop too uncomfortable a place to record? Or how about a recording studio, Gary?

We’ll have to see how well the album breaks through the American pop audience—but I’m going to predict this one falling short of the goal of stardom. Don’t Go by it, unless you are swimming in cash.