| I know I believe in nothing, but it's.... |
| My Nothing. |
| Page last updated; 23rd June 2003 |
| Tom McRae |
| Track listing; 1. You cut her hair 2. End of the world news (dose me up) 3. 2nd law 4. Bloodless 5. Draw down the stars 6. One more mile 7. The boy with the bubblegun 8. Hidden camera show 9. a & b song 10. Language of fools 11. Untitled 12. San Paulo rain 12. I ain�t scared of lightning Chilling, haunting and dark. And that�s just the opening track. You cut her hair is quietly menacing, barely-there vocals and building strings makes for a fantastic introduction. A comparably passionate track is a & b song, truly scary, the dark humming strings and low threatening tone of tom�s voice whisper sinister secrets and threats. Building fast, its an exhilarating sweep to the abrupt end which seems to be a violent end (�the storm is rising in me, the blood is rising in me�) to the life of �a� or �b�, the subjects of the song. End of the world news is about as catchy as Tom McRae is likely to get. When the guitars start with gusto as the chorus comes in you could almost tap your foot�. Tom�s voice soars spotlessly and musically it is irresistible. Left with just the piano and Tom�s voice, after the main explosion of sound for the middle eight, leading neatly into the closing section of the song the finer qualities and attention to detail in this song can be appreciated. Reminiscent of the introduction to you cut her hair the scratchy stolen audio at the beginning of 2nd law is hardly ground breaking stuff but is effective nevertheless. It takes a verse and a chorus before this song usually makes an impact on a first time listener. It is certainly amongst the weaker songs on the album, but as is common with many tracks, improves with familiarity. Bloodless is almost certainly, along with San Paulo rain and the boy with the bubblegun, the strongest of all the tracks on the album. Once again, Tom�s vocals contribute strongly to the overall impact of the song. The aggressive and accusatory �so tell me again what am I feeling you know me so well, so what am I feeling and how can you tell� shape the main lyrical content of the song and it isn�t long before you find yourself singing along with the same bitterness and sadness so central to the whole song. The boy with the bubblegun opens in a way that demands you listen, sweeping vocals and a low, ominous backing make for a stunningly beautiful. �If words could kill I�d spell out your name�, a line which seems to embody the whole song perfectly. San Paulo rain could be billed as the song �most Tom fans loved first�. Slow and reflective it is probably most stunning when heard live, the album version still has all the power and intensity though. It incorporates all of McRae�s strongest points, a late instrumental peak, chillingly dark lyrics and a wonderful tapestry of instruments to hold it all together. Fantastic. The pace changes for the whole album on draw down the stars, more of a love song than a lament, it shows Tom has range, although perhaps not an all encompassing talent. The raw anger and hostility of other tracks is far more appealing. One more mile has taken about 6 months for me to warm too, at times it can feel just that little bit too indulgent. Similarly; language of fools, here the lyrics come dangerously close to clich�d; �lie here while I close my eyes, hold me through this night� but it still has it�s merits. Like earlier tracks such as 2nd law, it takes a few listens to reveal the true power of Hidden camera show; �hide from the world it will come for you�. Although in many ways the vocals don�t vary that much from other tracks Tom seems to be singing in an entirely separate style here, in the closing segment the song lapses in the almost formulaic closing sequence with music and vocals building to an emotional climax. Untitled begins with gentle piano, it whispers into an introduction before performing one of McRae�s trademark changes of pace after the first verse at �we�ll sail on the high tide� demonstrating again Tom�s vocal abilities. The final track is equally stunning in the musical simplicity, relying again on the vocal talents of McRae. I ain�t scared of lightning ends the album on a very different note to the one which it began on. It seems to speak of a hope, dare I say optimisim, which McRae has become famous for lacking. Perhaps made most charming by its seeming innocence; �no I ain�t scared of lightning and thunder never killed, I was born in a summer storm, I live there still�. |
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