It never ceases to amaze this writer that fractious, but creatively triumphant duo DAVID McALMONT & BERNARD BUTLER haven't ever quite managed to slough off the shackles of merely a decent-sized cult following. They have continually been hotly-tipped and lauded, but - despite the expected critical fanfares that accompanied their last album “Bring It Back” (2002) – its’ overall failure to score commercially resulted in M&B being unceremoniously dumped by their former label, EMI.
“Speed” was actually written and recorded around the same time, but with EMI passing and Butler finally burying the hatchet with Brett Anderson to form THE TEARS, it’s remained in the vault ever since. Indeed, the fact that there is no material or gigs currently expected from McAlmont & Butler in the aftermath of this 7” vinyl and download-only release, it all begs the question of whether this is the end of the road for pop’s odd couple?
|
Well, one can only hope not, for “Speed” is another of those great, cavernous, alluringly OTT pop outings that M&B have sporadically made their own since the release of “Yes” a whole decade back. It’s built upon monolithic drums and eerie Eastern-style feedback from Butler early on, but when McAlmont’s larynx grabs hold of the melody it all falls gloriously into place and makes you reach helplessly for the expected adjectives such as ‘lush’ and ‘Spectorian.’
Languorous, skyscraping pop of a high order, then. If this is an epitaph to pop’s very nearly men, then it’s one they can be rightly proud of. Like I said earlier, though, let’s hope that’s a hasty conclusion I’m jumping to.
|
