Chancellorpink is one-man band Ray McLaughlin, who also handles production, marketing & putting the cat out at night! He’s been recording under the moniker for four years and self-released an album every year since. Sadly, having become disillusioned by the whole industry, he’s calling it a day, but not before putting out a couple of ‘best of’ compilations for the majority of us who need to do some catching up. The first of these, Still Life Self Portrait is essentially the slower numbers in the repertoire, whilst Cadillac rises the tempo a tad for more of an indie rock outing.
McLaughlin writes with a bruised soul, telling everyday tales of life, love and loss. There is, inevitably, a large element of autobiography in such material and the delivery here is poignant yet tinged with an air of abandon. The two CD set offers a journey through an individual lens on life and provides for an entertaining outing, even if a little painful at times. Still Life Self Portrait is, for this listener, the better of the two collections. Musically, there is a degree of dishevelment and a lack of clarity at times, which doesn’t always bode well with the depth of poet musing, so it is on the slower numbers where there is a more lucid delivery.
The best news of all here is that, if you click gently on the website link below, you will discover that all the tracks can be listened to and even downloaded, should you find an affinity. As a personal ‘tips’ guide, here are my favourites:- You Are Everyone – a tale of tainted love that epitomises much of the set; Sunday & In Self Defense – two subtle yet beautiful numbers; Muster & Seventy Times Seven – delightful pop; Unfinished Valentine – jangly anguish; Third Time, No Charm – a great infectious song; Mrs. Kowalski & Dockers – swirling murky & melodious. Final words then to the man himself, who will hopefully find the will to come back and do it all again sometime:- “Van Gogh painted 35 self portraits. It was obviously important to him that we all had a chance to see him, so as to better understand him, before he died. Will you do for me what no one did for Van Gogh before his death, and simply stop, look and listen?” Changed my mind, I‘m having the last say! – Life takes it toll on us all and we all battle scars. Ray has laid his life to bare through his music, but found enough deaf ears to encourage him to cease. Listen to his scars please.
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März 26th, 2010 → 5:15 pm @ admin