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Elly Roberts reviews
Constellation
- September 2007
- Rating: 2/10
Confined to a wheelchair aged 18 after a car crash, this paraplegic singer/songwriter remains one of the most engimatic artists of his generation.
He writes in a mostly sparse style, though he does venture into occasionalrock blasts. His voice is thin with a southern accent, with shades of earlyPeter Gabriel (Genesis). This combination of rootsy poetry and poetic forms of expression are probably more relevant to southern America, and unlikehis fellow countryman Devendra Banhart et al, he will have little affect on theBritish music scene.
His opening track, Warm, is a stripped-back acoustic rambler, with gentlestrums and the slightly warbled singing make it quite attractive, sharply contrastedby the doom-filled music of Glossolalia. Its a steady and slow openingon Everything I Say which preceeds some chrunching chords only to driftback to a plodding pace, reverting back to the chrunchy and dirty chords oncemore.
Thankfully a bit of sunshine emerges through the dark clouds. Wallace Stevensis the most accessible so far, but only just. Song seven, Splendid, beginswith a sonic effect, slowly opening with some steadfast singing, but doesntbreak into a sweat, and seems to have little direction. Things get a bittedious by the time youve reached snoozy Rustic City Fathers. After theinitial F/X sequence, Debriefing laps into a grungy over stretched ballad.
Chesnutt is considered lyrically clever with unique phrasing. Unfortunately,theres nothing remotely interesting or memorable on offer.
File under, unusual.
Overall, North Star Deserter is a pretty drab and depressing affair.
Weblinks:southern.net /vicchesnutt.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Warm
2. Glossolalia
3. Everything I Say
4. Wallace Stevens
5. You Are Never Alone
6. Fodder On Her Wings
7. Splendid
8. Rustic City Fathers
9. Over
10. Debriefing
11. Marathon
12. Rattle
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.