It was only a few short months ago that I reviewed the debut EP release of Colin David MacLeod, the man who is The Boy Who Trapped the Sun. Released on the Country Punk label, it marked an impressive start, and a taste of things to come. He's since got himself signed to Geffen and released another EP and a single in the build-up to this, his debut album.
In many respects, 'Fireplace' is more of the same of what he's been doing up to now, and features all of the things (if none of the tracks) that appeared on his 'Watermark' EP. That's no bad thing, however: imagine how let down the fan-base he'd built up with those first releases were completely let down by a change of direction, of if the label had insisted he went for a fuller production and a more upbeat sound.
Moreover, while there's nothing on 'Fireplace' that will change the world, or even anyone's life, I have to hand it to MacLeod for his commitment to quality songwriting. The eleven tracks on 'Fireplace' are simple and sparse, but beautifully crafted slices of introspective reflection, with some articulately drawn imagery and a handful of magnificent moments in which MacLeod breaks the mold he's cast himself to take off in different directions - perhaps most impressively exemplified by the percussive burst that takes place toward the end of 'Copper Down.'
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It isn't that MacLeod throws in random oddities to surprise the listener, so much as he's clearly clever enough to know when to try something a bit different and when to play safe. The result is an album that's coherent, cohesive and considered.
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