I’m struggling for the right phrase here so perhaps melodically mainstream will have to do. I regard it as good practice to get the summary description out of way before heading onwards to the review.
Adam Wilson is a new name to me – apparently he used to be the drummer for art-punk band Aerial Stares – and on this album he sounds like a brown bread kind of guy. “West Coast Elegy” seems likewise an earnest and wholesome album like you would have expected from any self respecting English folk singer with aspirations to commercial success in the early seventies. Only this isn’t the seventies and Mr Wilson isn’t a folk singer. The album has however got a kind of running theme taking us through the songs – not high concept but more the kind of meaningful following the path of life approach beloved of theatrical musicals. The structure of the songs does tend towards the inflexible and Mr Wilson’s vocal style, unfortunately, also tends to be too well mannered to bring any real passion to his own words and, of the songs, only “You Are Fooling No One But Yourself” actually manages to stick in the memory.
Even though there are other musicians credited on the sleeve, the album has all the sonic hallmarks of a one man and laptop job and you end up with but one question in your mind. Where therefore is the love?