JOSH PYKE – ONLY SPARROWS
- Author:
- Chris Peken
- Posted:
- Wednesday, 31 August 2011
“I’ve been stepping on cracks just to see what’ll happen / Just daring that dam to break”. It seems, for Josh at least, that those dam walls are holding strong so far. Josh Pyke is a curious case. Because Pyke actually had his first “hit”- Middle of the Road - released before his debut album it can seem he has been around for ages, that coupled with the seeming ease with which he writes classic mid 70′s style folk-pop songs means we sometimes under-rate his achievements in release three finely crafted albums. While his second album Chimney’s Fire lent a little further towards the melancholy, Josh has found a better balance on Only Sparrows as he tempers his tendency towards the dark side with his ability to craft a well placed, up-tempo pop tune; making for Pyke’s most accessible release so far. There is the plenty for everyone; the classic Pyke-pop of Break, Shatter, Make, Matter, the radio friendly No One Wants A Lover with its sing-a-long chorus and hand-claps, and the autumnal acoustic folk of the albums closer Love Lies. The real secret here, lies with the artists sense of self-knowing: “‘If I could write a sad song every day of the week / I’d be the happiest fucker I know.’
****
Like this article? Register as a subscriber here. It's free! We'll keep you up to date with new stories on the site.
Story posted on Wednesday, 31 August 2011, filed under CD Reviews. Follow responses via the RSS feed.
Post a comment