- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music'
- Genre: 'Indie'
- Release Date: '8.8.25.'- Catalogue No: 'TLAK1209'
Our Rating:
Art is the first solo album by Paul Archer who was in Disreali Gears, Ghears and Burning Codes rather than the Irish folk singing Paul Archer. The album is a game of two halves, half recorded in Leeds, half recorded back in Belfast. This album has a very strong message of doing your best to overcome the worst of life and helping others find love rather than fear or hate, a message we need to spread, helping to change minds through song. The musicians joining Paul on the album are Andy Hawkins, Gary Must, Darragh Morgan, Mark Ringer, Rick Bleakley, Terry Healy, Paul Kane, Janet Henry, Duke Special, Monty Sneddon, Lauren Hale, Jim Lockhart, Matt McCann, Belfast Metropolitan College Students, Tim Millen, Jon Moorehead and Jonny Quinn. It is Mastered by the ever-busy Dave Draper.
The album opens with Heavy Soul sparingly played to make clear just how heavy his heart is for where things are at, he wants to question everything and hopes to move forward, insistent riff drives things on. He knows whatever happens he'll still have questions that need answering.
Art is Pauls own Art manifesto, to make things transformative, Art rock leanings include a doors style organ and chiming guitars to help drive you to create and appreciate Art, on all the levels you can, to make your life fuller, make sure you really feel it.
Belfast (Place of My Soul) has Paul using more of a Van Morrison vocal style on this hymn of praise to the city of his origin, despite just how tortured the city has been over the years, he is deeply in love with what Belfast gave to him.
Struggles Won uses a sparse drum machine beat, that transforms into a thumping bass drumbeat, the rest of the song is built around, all the Struggles that have made life far more difficult than it should have been, but he's learnt from all the experiences.
Fear Destroyer a weapon most of us need more and more these days in the fraught time we live in Paul has a solution if you listen closely enough to the song, some of you fears may disappear, its worth a try right, maybe it's the odd percussive scraping that heals the wounds or the driving pulsating guitars tapping into the fear releasing frequencies.
No Fear he's got on his No Fear T-shirt and backwards baseball cap, he's ready to convince us all to accept that love is far better than fear, keep thinking and acting in loving ways, rather than giving in to fear, a crucial folk rock song for the mid 2020's, this should be on every alternative radio show, we need this message to get across, it probably needs a video shot somewhere dramatic like Red Rocks. The actual video is below.
Help Me Stand is a plea for a little bit of help, so he doesn't stray too far from the positive path he wants to be on, the wonderful backing vocals helping deliver his prayers.
I'll Be There For You is not a cover version, a dark prism of the soul is explored, finding ways to heal bringing positive change with a soulful gospel rock flutter. You're Not Alone don't ever forget in your hour of need there is always someone who will take your call and try to help.
Write It From The Soul a lover's despair, expressing his feelings through his song. Truth From Lies slow middle of the night thoughts trying to figure out how you find truth among the everyday lies we are told, you must see through it all, focus on living peaceful lives full of love, a hymnal for leaving hate behind, having no regrets, being on the creatives side rather than the destructors.
Detector has a slow violin for this message to come through loud and clear, he can see right through you, he knows the truth, so stop lying and do right by him and everybody else you come in contact with, instead of treating everyone terribly.
Sticks & Stones the pointless throwing of insults and bullying behaviour for no good reason, when co-operating and working together would get far more positive results, the guitars chug away at you.
The album closes with Moving With The Light a tambourine led slowly building anthem for trying the keep Moving With The Light clap along with them, raise your arms in the air, stay in the light, banish all the darkness and despair and keep Moving With The Light.
Find out more at https://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/495859-paul-archer-art https://paularcher.bandcamp.com/album/art https://www.facebook.com/paul.archer.94064
