Toy Box No.1

This short EP from Hewerdine is a bit of a teaser. Stripped down -- he plays everything (essentially just guitar) and sings on some new songs -- it's a disc that highlights his strengths and weaknesses. That he's a great songwriter who can be poignant without ever straying into the maudlin is already evident, a knack he handles well on all the six tracks here, especially the lovely immigrant saga "Ellis Island Blues." He's also a pretty decent guitar player who uses the instrument effectively, although he does seem to have a worrying passion for using seventh chords. But the bare-bones approach here also highlights the limitations of his voice by allowing it to be so naked. It works well enough on "Bible Pages" and "Koh-I-Noor," but the lack of range ends up not doing the material full justice. That said, there's at least one Hewerdine classic here ("Bible Pages") and possibly more. But for anyone wanting to discover the man and his talent, this probably isn't the place to begin. ~ Chris Nickson|