Forgive this writer’s whimsy, but as I sit here reviewing this glittering gem of an album, I am sat in a cosy caravan in North Wales, with the sweet scented wind howling through a copis of knotted and twisted trees, in the black slate strewn foothills of Snowdon.
The rain continuously drums heavily down on the caravan roof. We are in the middle of a mountain pass, in the midst of a severe weather warning. But still the sun adamantly peeks out from behind the heavy grey clouds that threaten further torrential showers. Purple foxgloves and ferns line the small winding roads, giving flashes of colour to the otherwise bleak landscape.
My socks are defiantly dry, my toes are positively toasty, and my wine is fabulously chilled. And even though I look out of the window and I can see my tent about to be blown away into oblivion, I am nonetheless very contented.
Why should you care? Because if ever there was an album that will recreate this sense of utter calm and contentment in the face of the elements, "The Truth About Ants and Aphids" is one of them. And it is very, very good indeed.
KEVIN HUME is the brains behind this fabulously quirky, deliciously delightful album.
Hume blends classical music, folk, indie and general craziness to create a concept album comprising four suits that explore the nature of love and humanity, and the nature of various garden-dwelling insects and plants. The listener is steered along a sonic path that is beautifully crafted and pleasantly evocative of gentle sunny rural landscapes – both in terms of the music, and Hume’s gentle philosophy within his lyrics.
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Hume’s enquiring mind is ever curious. “There’s not a room I’d stand outside/ But wouldn’t want to look within” (Fanfare for the Common Wolf Spider), and this is reflected in the wide range of musical genres he embraces. From traditional folk, to quirky pop, it serves to keep the album fabulously interesting and so feel-good you could burst. We even have a funky madrigal that breaks out into a Sonic-The-Hedgehog Speedy Gonzales-inspired chorus (Pink Chrysanthemums). Believe me, it works.
At points, the album could almost be the soundtrack to Tales of the Riverbank or Wind in the Willows, then the Wurlitzers kick in behind the gentle acoustic guitars and you’re catapulted somewhere else. And frankly, if you’re going to hear this anywhere, it may as well be in a caravan half-way up a mountain in North Wales.
In this humble writer’s opinion, “The Truth About Ants and Aphids” is certainly one of the stand out albums of 2007 so far. So go forth and investigate...
http://www.myspace.com/kevinhume
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