Reviews
Artist: Dead Like Harry
Album: Know The Joy Of Good Living
Tracks: 14
Website:http://www.deadlikeharry.com
When I first heard Dead Like Harry, they reminded me very much of Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks era), and as Fleetwood Mac have always been one of my favourite bands, it was obvious that I was going to like them too.
With the release of Know The Joy Of Good Living, their third official album, it is clear that they have progressed. Fleetwood Mac were never this good. DLH have become masters of both the soft, dreamy acoustic tracks, and of the heavier, rockier numbers. Even at their most heavy, though, Alice's vocal harmonics, Matt's scintillating keyboards, or Sam's acoustic guitar shine through, so that their songs are always delightfully pretty.
The album goes on general release in February, but they produced an advance run of 100 copies, of which I was lucky enough to get one. The CD itself looks quite unlike any other I have seen, appearing to have been made from vinyl, like an LP, with the cover designed like a fan-fold LP cover.
It opens, with a hissing crackle, so familiar to any of us who remember vinyl, before an onslaught of sound from "Streets". I'm used to hearing their live running order of "Streets" followed by "Cherry Street", but probably owing to the optimistic nature of "Cherry Street", they've bookended the album with the two songs rather than run one into the other. The effect, though, is slightly watered down by the addition of two bonus tracks, "Hope We Meet Again" and "Joanna", which appear after the final song, "Cherry Street".
I defy anyone not to be singing along on a second listen to my favourite track on this album: "You're Not Alone". Somehow, when Alice sings, 'You're not alone, 'cos I am here with you", just before Adam's drums, Robin's bass and John's electric guitar storm in for the crescendo, it feels as if Alice isn't just singing, but as if she has drawn the sound out of the ether. (I've probably watched too many episodes of Merlin - none the less, this is magical.)
With their last album, "Red Dress", having been released back in 2006, and with Sam and Matt's phenomenal rate of song writing, they had a wealth of songs that could have been included, and have at least enough material for a further album already. Consequently, of the fourteen tracks on this album, I already knew and loved thirteen of them, and there is only one track, "Driving To Nowhere", (a beautiful acoustic number, in which Sam twists the words into your heart, like knives), that is new to me. If you're new to this band, you'll love all the tracks, instantly.
They are currently editing a live DVD, which will hopefully be released later this year, and are touring in February. Do get to see them if you get the chance.
Pete Bradley