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DVDfever.co.uk – Richard Walters: The Animal CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Kartel Records
- Released: October 2009
- Rating: 8/10
Sensitive souls debut.
Richard Walters is 26. He has a beautiful falsetto voice. He wrote The Animal over a three year period, sparked by falling in love with an American girl and moving to Paris. Paris as he says was the catalyst.
In his native Oxford, hes a bit of a legend. His former band Theremin promised much but it didnt happen.Then out of the blue All At Sea, included here was used on CSI: Miami.
If there was ever an artist who deserves wider attention, then its Walters. Hopefully, Animal might just go some way in achieving greater success than hes had so far.Animal is a work of art, though a confusing title. Songs (heres a surprise!) are melancholic tinged ballads, not too far removed from say Damien Rice and David Ford, and not aggressive or wild as the title might suggest. Rather, his music is lightweight and gorgeous. The subject matter seems very close to home loneliness, domestic violence and being a single chappie. Cheery stuff eh? That said, most of them are simple love songs.
Each song is methodically crafted by this sensitive young man, who some might dub the next Jeff Buckley.Theres nothing extravagant going on here. His trade mark is subtlety, though in a music world awash with run-of-the mill singer-songwriters, subtlety is no guarantee for stardom.His opening gambit is the filigree Brittle Bones, a quiet restrained start about meeting a girl who already has a boyfriend, though it is a positive song of sorts. Next, Weather Song is about that virtually uncontrollable feeling on meeting someone new, before the reality of the person kicks-in.
The time Oxford was flooded inspired All At Sea during which time he split from his long-term girlfriend, a difficult time in his young life as he draws the analogy that Oxford is going under water.Paranoia during a turbulent time on weed, mushrooms, acid sparked the spacey We Have Your Head which overcame after two years of self-destruction during which time he dropped out of university.
The most disturbing song is The Animal about physical abuse. Lyrically its very profound and worrying as he enters the mind of the abuser.During one of his many visits to America, he had a seizure. It was his first epileptic episode where he was diagnosed with the ailment at a Santa Monica hospital. Its now under control, like his life right now.
As things have progressed in his love-life, True Love Will Find You In The End finds the sensitive soul at peace with himself and the world.
The verdict: An understated beauty.
Weblink:richard-walters.org /myspace.com/richardwalters (includes audio samples)
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Brittle Bones
2. Weather Song
3. All At Sea
4. Crawl Up To My Room
5. We Have Your Head
6. The Animal
7. Red Brick
8. American Stitches
9. True Love Will Find You In The End
10. Spirit Of The Stairway
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.