Mad Staring Eyes may draw upon Americana influences but there's something resolutely English about this North London six piece band. You'll learn more about cab drivers on the London Road than lonesome travellers on lost highways.
This is their third album. They officially formed in 2003 although on their website they reveal that the core of the band have been together in some shape or form for 20 years.
As a nod to back-to-basics authenticity, the tracks were recorded live onto tape using vintage gear with the prominent use of pedal steel, piano and flute.
On the first track, Waiting For The Doctor, lead vocals alternate between Alex Smiler and Isabella Tulloch but, strangely, Tulloch then takes more of a backseat role for the remaining ten tracks.
This is a pity since some variety from Smiler's deadpan delivery would be welcome. He has the kind of voice that left me unsure if the songs were intended to be ironic or something more heartfelt.
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For example, I was at a loss to know whether to smile or frown at the opening line of Don't Lead Me On : "I met her on the psychiatric ward, she was rolling on the floor" or how I should respond to his admission on Experiments that : "I know that sometimes I can be hard to please but I'm waiting for a reaction in a chemical world".
At their best, some songs reminded me of Richard Thompson's solo work albeit with a more anonymous quality.
Apart from the jaunty fiddle playing on Inseparable, the overall tone is too droll to be as broadly appealing as I'm sure they set out to be.
Mad Staring Eyes' website
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