‘Another Sleepless night’ is the latest album from the Norwich based musician, singer/songwriter and film maker Rory McVicar.
What you get here is a thirteen track concept album based around an entire night unable to sleep due to restlessness and over-activity of the mind, and it’s excellent. The ten songs on the album are broken up by three short instrumentals, which come around as regularly as the hour hand on a ticking clock. These songs would all fall into the pop, folk and in some cases almost slow rock and roll category.
The opening song ‘The Only One’ follows classic rock and roll territory and immediately reminded me of The Everly Brothers or Ricky Nelson, and follows the singer talking through a failing relationship: -“And I don’t know why you have to go/ I just have thought through what you are doing/ And I am not the only one who thinks you are not being true/I am not the only one who thinks you are not being true to yourself.” The message is simple but effective and wrapped in a great upbeat refreshing melody.
‘Sametime’ sounds very Velvet Underground circa their third album, and Rory’s vocal is reminiscent of Doug Yule’s. Again the lyrics are questioning a relationship: -“Every song is in the same key, everyone looks the same to me/ And you can’t go back from where you came, and expect everything to be exactly the same.”
‘That’s Life’ is slower and stark, with Rory’s vocals well up in the mix, showcasing what a good singer he actually is. The mood on this one is downbeat and reflects the lyrical theme: - “This life, you know. Will let you go. Once and for all.”
In contrast to this, ‘Down, down, down’ is fast bright and poppy, featuring guitar, organ and drums, and on this one some of Rory’s vocal inflections are similar to that of the late, great Buddy Holly, although the subject matter is darker.
“And now you are close to death, and I have things I must confess/ And now you can see that I’ve been a spoilt brat/ And time, time can roll your eyes.”
Following this is the short instrumental interlude, ‘Lonesome Goodnight Music’, which is acoustic guitar blues and lasts for a mere forty three seconds, acting as a musical sorbet to clean your sonic palate.
‘I Will Take The Blame’ is slower, slightly countrified and includes a whistling solo! The lyrics are clever and witty and seem to come from the standpoint of a person who has recently wrecked someone else’ relationship:- “You were growing tired of your lover’s expectations/ I was unadmired and in need of good relations/ You’d been looking pretty good and I did not keep my distance/ And this is how we caved in to sweet love’s insistence.”
Whilst the song’s character appears to accept the blame, he is hardly remorseful: - “For just as any criminal must win what is unwinnable/It’s you I want. My sweet ill-gotten gains.”
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‘Bury Me With The Others’ is a near perfect sombre death song, with drums that echo, and lyrics that can send a shiver: “I can hear their screams, I can see the white in their eye/ I know what it means, I know I too must die.”
Following on from this is the instrumental ‘Untitled’, a gentle strum along which draws a line under the proceedings.
‘Darlin’ Wait’ is a slow poppy slice of brilliance with use of guitar and organ, sounding very much like The Velvet Underground, and detailing a man who wants his lover to stay even though she torments him because of his weakness: -
“Darlin’ wait, must you be so soon leaving, on a night so long as this one?/ Won’t you stay for a little while longer? And for a while all this wrong can be undone.”
‘O! The Shame’ is pretty much the same, and again reminded me of the Velvet’s retro pop. The instrumental ‘Lonesome Goodnight Music (reprise) takes us into the final section of the album. ‘(Don’t You) Call My Name Babe’ is another strong track that easily could fit well with those on the Violent Femmes first album, and wouldn’t seem at all out of place: “Disregard what I say with a joke made in bad taste/ And I will take this hand to your pretty unwashed face.”
Finally, we are treated to the sound of a radio being tuned in, which heralds ‘Another Sleepless Night’, which is piano based and all but drowns out the vocals, making it seem as if the song is coming from another time, it’s obviously the end of the night and everything’s coming to a close.
“I know your intentions are good with what you say/ And true you make me happy in a temporary way……It is better off this way.”
The song fades out with the radio announcer bidding the listeners goodnight and at thirty five minutes and thirty six seconds, that’s it.
I really enjoyed this album, the tunes are great and the lyrics are in places extremely clever and quite biting. This is well worth checking out on Rory McVicar’s website.
(This typed at ten minutes past four in the morning after another sleepless night.)
Rory McVicar online
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