2

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 00:39:11
Personnel: Ned Collette (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, drums, drum machine); Joe Talia (synthesizer, drums, drum machine). Audio Mixers: Ned Collette; Joe Talia. Recording information: Berlin (2011); Melbourne (2011). Photographer: Joe Talia. If Ned Collette didn't have such a fine voice, things might have been easier for him; the richness and emotional warmth he brought to the songs on his solo debut, Jokes and Trials, led many to expect he was going to become the next Nick Drake. But in his subsequent work, Collette has made it obvious he has no intention of being just another singer/songwriter, even if he had the makings of a great one. 2 is Collette's second album with his backing combo Wirewalker, and like Over the Stones, Under the Stars, this music is more about sound and structure than Collette's vocals, or even what he's singing. With bassist Ben Bourke largely missing from these sessions on paternity leave, Collette and percussionist Joe Talia constructed most of these tracks by themselves, and they've crafted a set of compelling soundscapes that are artful and evocative, embracing elements of musique concrete in their ambitious use of editing, layering the songs with sheets of percussion, keyboards, and found sounds, and bringing an almost cinematic depth to Collette's lovely but ambitious pop melodies. Given that Collette has a degree in modern composition, it should come as no great surprise that he can make an album as challenging as 2, but this music never feels pretentious or arty for its own sake; Collette's perspective may be intellectual, but he understands that emotion is what drives music, and he brings a soul and passion to material that could easily have seemed cool and aloof in the hands of others. And while the music speaks stronger than the words, Collette's gifts as a lyricist are genuine and he still has a pretty great voice. Maybe he'll never get to be the next Nick Drake, but judging from 2, being Ned Collette is a pretty impressive achievement in itself. ~ Mark Deming