Shrewsbury's First Mate, First Mate - album review
Shrewsbury's Vin Whyte is back with his sixth record - but the first to be released under his new moniker First Mate.
Consisting of just eight lengthy tracks each tackling a different subject, it was inspired by "a country and Western compilation cassette, left behind in the tape player by the previous owner of a ‘99 Skoda Felicia I bought last year".
"It inspired me to take a stripped-back and heartfelt approach to the songwriting and production on this album," he added.
The result is some beautiful songwriting that keeps hold of the attention from start to finish, released via Wave Language Recordings.
His voice is engrossing, moving through the octaves with ease. He is a fabulous storyteller, like Belle and Sebastian or The Futureheads in style and delivery.
Each of the eight subject matters - murderers on the run in North Wales, austerity, memory loss, career choices, the notion of land ownership, a fortune teller, a psychopathic farmhand’s daughter and the ghost of a lighthouse keeper dodging flying golf balls - keep you engaged, even when we slip into Welsh during Meet Me In Dwygyfylchi.
The whole thing is very DIY. Recorded in four days in a disused office unit he tried to keep the recording takes to as few as possible and this helps the authenticity of the tales.
The aforementioned track is wonderfully crafted with guitar and bass mixed with what sounds like a tin whistle to give the impression of luscious, green rolling hills as the murderers travel towards their final destination. It's a strangely tender song full of rising and falling melodies.
There's some real lazy rock vibes to The Diary Remembers The Day. It feels reminiscent of mistakes made as the plodding percussion carries it along. Those clanging guitars sound more than a little regretful too. It's recorded tightly too, feeling almost claustrophobic.
There's also a folk song feel to Faye Fariday, with spoken word delivery over the top of pained synths that hold the track in focus.
There's some really interesting ideas here which should sound good in a live setting. It's storytelling through music in its rawest form. And it works.
Rating: 7/10
First Mate will play at The Wakes, Oakengates, Telford, with support from Fergus Reid, on December 13. Digital copies of the record can be bought through Vin Whyte's Bandcamp page, with physical copies available from Facebook.
