Album: David Rotheray, The Life of Birds (Proper)

Reviewed by Nick Coleman

Sunday 15 August 2010

An album of songs very loosely joined by the avian theme.

It's an often serious, sometimes grave collection spanning the ages of man, sung by a variety of interesting voices – Kathryn Williams, Eliza Carthy, Alasdair Roberts, Camille O'Sullivan – to careful string-enhanced, acoustic arrangements. The elaboration of the writing sometimes overwhelms the song (too many sound like poetry set to music) but the intent is there to reach deep. The Beautiful South seems like a long time ago.

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