Lawrence Arabia is the pseudonym of James Milne, the New Zealand born musician. Previous to this musical adventure James has played with the Brunettes, The Ruby Suns and Okkervil River. He has also produced for films and theatre along with writing the score for the film ‘Eagle vs Shark’.
‘Chant Darling’ offers a few beautifully crafted tracks that are easy on the ear but fail to excite. ‘The Undesirables’ is a short acoustic tune that sets a nice tone for the album, followed by ‘Apple Pie Bed’, a clear highlight of the record. The track is a pop-fuelled affair with some inspired harmonies that tempt the listener into singing along.
‘The Beautiful Young Crew’ stands out as offering something a little bit extra, however the tracks either side fail to grasp your attention in the slightest. ‘Fine Old Friends’ has a hint of psychedelia and starts to show off the musicians capabilities in a way most of the other tracks fail to do. The album has more than peaked at this point, with the remaining three tracks offering very little.
‘Chant Darling’ is a safe bet and does contain a few hidden gems amongst the otherwise rather dull attempts. Inoffensive and somewhat middle of the road, the record is crying out for an edge. The four tracks highlighted however do provide sufficient harmony and beauty, making the record worthy of a listen. (If half points were available, this record would be sitting on a two and a half).
Lawrence Arabia can be found touring Europe and the UK over the next few months. Check www.myspace.com/lawrencearabia for details.
‘Chant Darling’ offers a few beautifully crafted tracks that are easy on the ear but fail to excite. ‘The Undesirables’ is a short acoustic tune that sets a nice tone for the album, followed by ‘Apple Pie Bed’, a clear highlight of the record. The track is a pop-fuelled affair with some inspired harmonies that tempt the listener into singing along.
‘The Beautiful Young Crew’ stands out as offering something a little bit extra, however the tracks either side fail to grasp your attention in the slightest. ‘Fine Old Friends’ has a hint of psychedelia and starts to show off the musicians capabilities in a way most of the other tracks fail to do. The album has more than peaked at this point, with the remaining three tracks offering very little.
‘Chant Darling’ is a safe bet and does contain a few hidden gems amongst the otherwise rather dull attempts. Inoffensive and somewhat middle of the road, the record is crying out for an edge. The four tracks highlighted however do provide sufficient harmony and beauty, making the record worthy of a listen. (If half points were available, this record would be sitting on a two and a half).
Lawrence Arabia can be found touring Europe and the UK over the next few months. Check www.myspace.com/lawrencearabia for details.
