Beast Records, France (label)
18 October 2011 (released)
30 January 2012
Welcome to his midnight show, come inside and say ‘hello’!
Pete Ross, sometimes referred to as the Australian Johnny Cash, is an accomplished recording artist and live performer whose distinctive voice and original material has gained him a following across Europe, USA and of course his native Australia.
His debut album Six String Suicide (as Pete Ross and the Paesanos) was described as a "manicured collection of blues, rock, country and narrative that in chorus is connected by honest soul and emotion."
In 2011, and with his partner Susy Sapphire as co-writer and bassist in tow, Pete released his acoustic album Midnight Show through French label Beast Records (in 12” vinyl format). The band has spent a great deal of time promoting the album, particularly in France and in Australia.
Title track ‘Midnight Show’ had my brain going overdrive, that’s because the opening chords sounded somehow familiar. Eventually, the penny dropped: the chords are almost identical to the opening music of Dead Man, that wonderfully moody b/w western starring Johnny Depp. Coincidence or not, to me it simply proves that Mr. Ross possesses taste. The song itself sounds just as moody – evoking pathos even - with Ross’ dynamic voice belting out the prophetic lyrics “Every love finds its way to hate”.
‘XXXV’ not only has slight country- and folk-hues ringing through, but the overall feel lies in the tradition of chanson dramatique (think Jaques Brel).
Hold on… there’s another familiar opening on next number ‘I Won’t Wait’ (well, the first few chords). I’ll be damned if it ain’t ‘Ghost Riders In The Sky’ by the one and only… Johnny Cash. Seriously, and opening chords aside… the rest of the song is purely Ross’ own composition.
Another example of fine song-writing is ‘Corn Silk Hair’ – dedicated to a certain girl or her hair, rather. ‘Maybe There Is Love’ is delivered with heart and hope, and some additional piano that emphasizes the emotion of the song.
Side B opens with the choppy ‘I’m Not Afraid’. Guitar and voice are almost merged, while backing vocals add extra dimension. ‘Song 7’ is once again powerful songwriting, and once again I’m stunned just how uncannily Ross’ voice resembles the voice of ‘the man in black’!
The harmonica-dominated ‘Looking In Your Eyes’ rolls firmly on the country-blues bandwagon, while my personal favourite ‘Josephine’ applies some harmonious strings that make this affectionate and thoughtful love song all the more intense.
Closing track ‘Nothin’ At All’ is a rather peculiar composition. While the distinctive harmonica play belongs to the school of Ennio Morricone (and there is nothing wrong with that), it stands at odds with the remaining musical arrangement. However, that’s for individual souls to decide.
Pete Ross isn't exactly exploring new ground with this album, but he does what he does and he does it well. Midnight Show is a solidly crafted album and this artist shouldn’t encounter any problems establishing a hardcore fan-base in the UK as well.
