Reviews
Artist:Afton Wolfe Album: Kings For Sale
Label: Grandiflora
Tracks: 9
Website: http://www.aftonwolfe.com
I used to travel to London on business on a regular basis. One of the highlights of my trip, aside from boarding the train to return to Yorkshire, was always to visit the main HMV store in Oxford Street. I could spend hours in there just browsing through their categorised sections and discovering new music to buy. I think that is why I now always categorise new music into genres based on the HMV model, albeit slightly updated.
Afton Wolfe's latest album dropped on my desk last week and I carried out my usual first listen and genre defining session. In the HMV listing, there was a section called "Easy Listening." On first listen to "Kings For Sale" I decided a new category was required named "Thought Provoking Listening." It does not fit into any currently accepted genre term with its various musical influences, including his birthplace of Mississippi and his many abstract lyrics. Touches of jazz, country, blues and gospel all combine to deliver an album of stark contrasts. With Afton's gritty voice and sounds, it might have been described as Protest Music back in the 70s and 80s. A touch perhaps of Bob Dylan?
Afton has been making music since the late 1990s although this is his first full length solo album. He is a singer with much to say and who uses his music as a vehicle for change and awareness. "Dirty Girl" with its blues influence and harmonica has just been released as a single and will introduce many new listeners to Afton's style of dynamic music. Although there are only 9 tracks on the album, they are all nearly, or just over, 5 minutes long so you still receive a full length forty five minute set of music.
The song that most impressed me is "Mrs Ernst's Piano" which opens a window into racism in America and is a brilliantly constructed song with a touch of black humour. Without giving the story away, the ending is brilliant. Aside from the lyrics, the arrangement is also superb.
Both musically and lyrically, this is one of the most original albums I have listened to in a long time. It is definitely one to listen to carefully and not one to just have on as background as you will miss so much of the brilliant storytelling. Give it a try!
Rory Stanbridge
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