Monday 31 August 2009

Paul Dempsey - Everything is True - Album Review

*****
On his debut solo album, Paul Dempsey has kept everything that is great about Something for Kate and made a fresh and unique sound that I can't get enough of. I've been listening to this album on repeat for over 2 weeks now and have not come close to tiring of it yet. Even the latest single "Romona Was a Waitress" which is getting fairly heavy airplay still sounds fresh. The songwriting on Everything is True is Dempsey's strongest effort since SFK's Elsewhere for 8 Minutes and the simple yet catchy acoustic guitar is the perfect accompaniment to his clever and insightful lyrics. All the instruments on the album are played by Dempsey and he also wrote and co-produced the debut with Wayne Connolly, who has previously worked with The Fauves and Josh Pyke, proving that he is truly one of Australia's most talented artists. It's hard to pick highlights on such a strong album but I am really loving "Fast Friends", "Bird in a Basement" and current single "Romona Was a Waitress". The bonus disc features four covers played acoustically and is a nice addition, if only for the great MGMT cover of "Time to Pretend. You can find his cover version of classic 90's Teenage Fanclub track "Sparky's Dream" on iTunes as well which is probably my favourite of the cover versions. This fantasic debut is the current leader for Album of the Year at this stage and I am looking forward to seeing a full live show at the Palais in Hepburn Springs on the 11th Sept, having seen a sneak preview at RRR's Performance Space in July before hearing the album. I strongly receommend this album, even if for some stupid reason Something for Kate is not your cup of tea. 5 out of 5.

Everything is True
1. Bats
2. Fast Friends
3. Out The Airlock
4. Ramona Was A Waitress
5. Take Us To Your Leader
6. Bird In A Basement
7. Theme From Nice Guy
8. Have You Fallen Out Of Love?
9. The Great Optimist
10. Safety In Numbness
11. Man Of The Moment

Counterfeits and Forgeries
1. Time to Pretend (MGMT)
2. Heaven (Talking Heads)
3. So Like Candy (Elvis Costello)
4. Disappearer (Sonic Youth)
5. Sparky's Dream (Teenage Fanclub) iTunes Bonus Track

Here are the latest tour dates for Paul Dempsey

Thurs 10 September – Ruby’s Lounge
Fri 11 September – The Palais, Hepburn Springs
Sat 12 September – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Wed 16 September – Lizottes, Kincumber
Thurs 17 September – Wollongong University, Wollongong
Fri 18 September – Brewery, Newcastle
Sat 19 September – Manning Bar, Sydney
Fri 25 September – The Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
Sat 26 September – The Zoo, Brisbane
Thurs 1 October – The Gov, Adelaide
Fri 2 October – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
Sat 3 October – Fly By Night Club, Fremantle
Fri 9 October – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Sat 10 October – Westernport Hotel, San Remo





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