Kidderminster's The Humdrum Express, Ultracrepidarian Soup - album review
His champions include BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq, and Kidderminster's The Humdrum Express has a good local following too.
All will have been looking forward to the latest release from this musical social commentator - and will be chuffed that, again, he doesn't disappoint.
And he has a new treat in store too - it's his first record to incorporate a full-band sound. It builds on the usual Humdrum sideswipes at the world around him and lift his softly spoken vocals to another level.
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And the former Unsigned column star has built a little gang of his favourite musicians around him - a supergroup if you will. Flying Ant Day’s Andrew Boswell and Carl Bayliss, another former Unsigned star Sleuth, AKA Wolverhampton's Chris Taylor-Ashcroft, and The Smokin’ Pilchards' Ted Cartwright all lend their hands and instruments to their pal.
“I wasn’t sure whether the term 'concept album' was exclusively for chin-strokers, but the aim was to attempt to document the quirks of social media and the resulting knock-on effect," he says of his new work.
And indeed, anyone who does indulge in modern social media platforms will be knowingly smirking at different points throughout this.
Blue Plaque Building is a snigger-along track with Humdrum taking a look at modern fads and clichés. His spoken word delivery - very Half Man Half Biscuit, who he looks up to - hums away over the top of electronic percussion and softly strummed guitars.
There's the equally comical Message Board Hooligan - whose name should give away the subject matter quite easily. Here, deep and animated bass carries the tune along with added oomph. The repeating siren-like repetition throughout the verses should stamp home the point of this song as a warning against such behaviour.
Curse Of The Modern Musician with its sliding melodies and frenetic, agitated pace is quite self-deprecating too to show Humdrum can mock himself. And the swagger of Pop Culture Musings is perhaps the track with the sharpest wit on the album where he lays bare his gripes with much of the modern music industry with a laid back, almost nonchalant style.
Produced once again by Mick Lown, Ultracrepidarian Soup easily showcases The Humdrum Express's knack for pointing out what has been wrong right in front of your face the whole time, which you either never noticed or chose not to. It's good to have him back.
Rating: 7/10
The Humdrum Express can be found on Twitter @HumdrumExpress and Facebook @TheHumdrumExpress. The record will be available on vinyl for the first time, as well as the usual CD and digital formats. These can be ordered, alongside his back catalogue and other merchandise, from his website. It can also be streamed on his Spotify page. He launches the album with a show at Stourbridge's Claptrap The Venue this evening, supported by TV Smith, but this is already sold out.
