Another ingredient in the Glasgow musical melting pot is Ben TD. This album appears to be a reissue given its recording date and despite the many, many gigs that I reviewed last year, I had never heard mention of Ben TD.
Not that I missed much judging by the songs on this album. It is - and this is far from uncommon amongst singer songwriters based in Glasgow - a downbeat affair with little to raise your spirits. There's not even some hidden poetry that becomes clear after a couple of listens. Even, as on "Lily", when Ben TD makes a point about prejudice, he does so in a simplistic manner. Given the unexciting nature of the music, I did get a bit of a surprise on reading the sleeve notes that Ali Downer (of the wondrously vibrant Woodenbox) and classy cello player Nicola West had guested on it.
Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with this album. The musicianship is OK, the songs are average but overall it is just plain dull. Maybe next time?