John Meed
Album: The Dust Of Time
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.johnmeed.net

One of the things I really like about the music of John Meed is that it really is quite pretention free, as highlighted, by "The Camper Van Song", not tales of Route 66 in a Winnebago, oh no, this is the tale of a VW and the A65 and comparisons with the modern mobile palaces.

Lancashire born and Cambridge based, John Mead is what I would call an old singer/songwriter, a writer performer that uses local reference points to reflect wider social ills. Take the sign off song, "The Gandhi" as a case in point, whilst our local pub, takeaway may have had a different name, we all know the decent places that have closed down and gone, not because they were serving the community, more because the site may have been more value than the business.

John Meed sings and plays guitar on the album, bringing in other musicians to round out the sound, most notably The Willows, Cliff Ward, on violin as well an multi-instrumentalist Rhys Wilson and that helps to give the songs a real distinction across the album.

Now I have to say that John is not one of the best vocalists to cross the threshold of the Fatea office, but it is a voice that has a certain character to it and whilst it might not be everyone's cup of tea, it does help give the songs context, this is down to the floor folk music and in that arena, "The Dust Of Time", John Meed's fifth album, is a well worthy release and one that shows local perspectives do matter in a globalised world.

Neil King