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Elly Roberts reviews
Fiction Records
- Released: November 2004
- Rating: 8/10
- Cat.no.: 9868907
After a slow start, Magpie really takes off.
Its a bit like a bird waking up,spreading its wings, waiting for the rightmoment to make its move.
And like all good navigators, it has to be a calculated one. It feels like thenervous fledgling bracing itself to take a plunge into the unknown. It rufflesits plumage – and whoosh its gone. When it finds its wings and hits the rightthermals – its on its way. Sometimes it falls into the slipstream forreassurance, and when confident enough, it gracefully soars upwards.
The Magpie of course is Scunthorpes 23 year old singer-songwriter StephenFretwells debut album. Probably appealing to those of you who have a leaningtowards Bob Dylans mood and pace. Occassionally,he even sounds like thefolkie legend. Even some harmonica is straight out of Mr.Zimms mould: checkLines and Brother.
The ginger one has a fine line in a gentile approach to song delivery, with lyricswhich are earthy, endearing, but above all tender, on what is a stripped downand fragile package.
The acoustic balladeer tells stories about lost love (harsh treatment fromwomen apparently) and the usual gamut of loneliness, tragedy and a strong tadof bitterness all in the mix. On its way it stutters when Fretwell resorts toswearing – an unnecessary tactic by Bad Bad Fretwell – but understandable asthe frustration cracks on New York. Emilie is a tragedy, butFretwell still loves her, apparently, but theres no going back.
Resplendent in its achievement, it returns to the nest with a hoard of shinygoodies its stolen on its maiden journey – the crown jewels being thewonderful final track, If You Go. Misery never sounded so graceful.
Conclusion: slow burner.
The full list of tracks included are (Please note: track 12 has no title – listed as a dash!):
1. Do You Want To Come With
2. Whats That You Say Little Girl
3. Run
4. Bad Bad You, Bad Bad Me
5. Rose
6. Lost Without You
7. Emile8. Lines
9. Play
10. Brother
11. New York
12. –
13. Rain (UK Bonus Track)
14. If You Go (UK Bonus Track)
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.