THE FRENCH DEFENCE is the banner under which Owen Lloyd leads his accompanied and sometimes unaccompanied songs into the soft twilight of gentle publicity. For this EP (released through the Limoges-based Anorak Records) Owen provides his own guitar and a little whistling with touches of keyboard, bass and (do I hear accurately?) some understated concertina. There are some additional vocal tracks too.
The great appeal of THE FRENCH DEFENCE is the combination of Owen's luxuriously confiding, unforced voice and his intimate brushes with romance. On this release six songs fill out a generous 22 minutes. Taken one at a time, the songs unfold thus
"be inertia" is a miniature portrait of a desirable woman, with a lilting tune, a sympathetic accompaniment and a distant solo voice in the alto cirrus. Owen takes the time to reprise the tune with a guitar and concertina, tune and beauty equally appealing.
"valentine strum" is more upbeat - it's a confessional tune. "I award your eyes miracle status" and "I really rate us, I think we'd be great as girlfriend and boyfriend" - are disarmingly honest leaps into narcissism, sung with a tense balance of humour and romantic intensity.
"purity test" is a much more disturbing song, with a pretty tune, built on a children's honesty game - a game that becomes increasingly obsessed and intrusive as the song's character projects his desires onto a female object whose complicity remains unknown and unrepresented. "Question 6 do you need a daily fix of penis just to get to sleep?" has an abusive ring to it that shivers with the ambiguous balance between being and critiquing the male of the species.
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"more weight" is a straightforward song of rejection and sexual jealousy redeemed from its rather plain setting by the addition of a choirboy voice in the last chorus.
"a darker square" opens with a very soft two note organ accompaniment. A nearly-whispered vocal lists the basic elements of another sad scene. Someone's bags are packed. Someone is leaving. Bass, light drumming and fuller keyboard sound the resigned retreat. A ghostly extra choirboy voice weaves in, doubled up as a chorus.
"kitchen confidential" is a conversational advice-giving "remember, not all men are so beastly". It balances the sharp sadness of "a darker square" against the difficult gender politics of "purity test". As the advice dries up, a verse of whistling (in the dark?) signifies more that could be said but isn't going to be.
Well, not "fun" then. But something a good deal more grown-up and satisfying. A solo singer songwriter with a a very distinct set of themes and a very beguiling voice. Recommended.
www.anorakcd.net
http://www.myspace.com/thefrenchdefence
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