Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami once wrote that '"the reason people sing songs for other people is because they want to have the power to arouse empathy, to break free of the narrow shell of the self and share their pain and joy with others." This assertion seems particularly apt to Aaron English, an earnest singer-song writer who modestly describes himself as "a piano man from Seattle".
English's third album is an 'I'm still standing' declaration of sorts, coming, as it does, after a serious tour bus crash in 2008 destroyed most of his equipment and called a temporary halt to his live appearances.
This traumatic experience probably accounts for the sense of urgent intensity, bordering on frustration, that he pours into the ten songs contained here.
On the surface, his songs adhere to relatively mainstream singer songwriter territory, being shaped by strong melodies and mellow arrangements, often backed by trumpet, sax or violin.
At the same time, he is an artist who is not content to regurgitate tired platitudes or resort to cheap sentiment. Instead, he wants to draw the listener into his world view and for us to share his pains and joys.
He writes damning state of the nation addresses and bitter-sweet love songs; a combination that at times makes for an uneasy mix of politics and heartache.
This often requires a degree of empathy with his reflections as a disillusioned patriot. This is something which , I suspect, may appeal more to left of centre American listeners than to a broader audience even though he is careful not adopt any extremist standpoints. His is more the position of a concerned citizen than a political activist.
In Anthem ,for instance, he is at pains to affirm his continued faith in his country whilst also asserting his bond with a girl who has "peacefully conquered" his heart. This song sums up the key themes of the album; asserting that people should not allow themselves to be sidetracked by "American daydreams" but to have faith in one another in these "urgent and uncertain times". It is a message succinctly encapsulated by the line: "I pledge allegiance to the republic of me and you".
The subtlety of his song writing skills are demonstrated in Sleight of Heart (a track which also features New York singer/songwriter Leah Siegel) . This cleverly structured song compares the visual illusions of magicians to the delusions of a man (himself?) pretending that a break-up is not hurting ("this subtle art of tricking my heart").
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Less convincing is the plaintive, and slightly hymnal, aspects of songs like A Northern Sort of Silence and Pale Saint ("I grieve for these times") which are a little too cloying for my taste.
Similarly, his stabs at commercial hits are largely bland and uninspired. The self conscious poetics of Doves end up sounding more Robbie Williams than Robbie Burns with obscure lines like "I'm coming down like a dove into a world of shells".
The opening track, and single, Believe is a little better but is weakened by tiresome repetition of the title; the word being used almost fifty times in under five minutes.
God Bless You And Your Man is uncharacteristically upbeat and playful, using reggae rhythms to tell the humorous tale of a "humble librarian/young vegetarian" resigned to a woman's preference for her "cold barbarian".
English is most in his element when addressing more serious subject matter. Peace, for instance, is presumably drawn in part from his own experiences as "a cold war boy" fretting that every passing plane may be on a bombing mission. This threat of war is not simply presented as an historic footnote but as a present day fear and the absence of peace is shown as being just as much a social as a political issue.
It is a measure of Aaron English's integrity that in dealing with weighty subject matter, he is aware that his power to change hearts and minds is limited. In The Name of This Song Is A Secret, he concedes that often, when push comes to shove, "silence says it best and words just get in the way".
Overall, this is an uneven album but one that is well worth hearing as a one which showcases the humility and humanity of a talented, and committed song writer.
Aaron English's Website
n.b. The Murakami quote is from his 1995 novel The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle .
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