Alex Cornish – Live, ARK, Edinburgh, Monday 4th February 2008
You may remember me reviewing Alex Cornish’s home-made debut Until the Traffic Stops a few months ago, and you may also remember me not quite understanding why I like it so, given it is the sort of music I generally deride with a level of spiteful vengeance known only to the sort of homophobe that is actually a closet homosexual.
I like it and, in a way, I fear that I like it because it is a Radio 2 style of music that I associate with being too grown up and losing your rock ‘n’ roll edge. I never actually had a rock ‘n’ roll edge of course, but I am still afraid to lose it. So here I am secretly loving his album and trying to pretend to myself that I am actually far too cool to really enjoy it, but there’s no denying it, this is genuinely good stuff.
Why? Well chiefly because Alex does the one crucial thing in music really well – he writes infectious tunes. This entire record is so eminently hummable that no matter what my pretensions, I just can’t help but like it. Once I’d overcome that, loving the live performance is no great step.
Apparently Alex is known to turn down invitations to open for bands playing in Edinburgh because, while he can, he’d rather not perform acoustic sets. His music is a little bigger than that. He is actually a violinist who eschewed classical in favour of indie music, but the talent for bigger orchestrations came with him. Playing with a band now – bassist, drummer and pianist, he is able to bring something approaching the full sweep to his songs.
I discussed the pre-recorded string section with him before the gig and it went along these lines: pre-recorded strings feel wrong. Strings recorded on the spot and then looped feel okay, but ultimately there’s no real difference. And if you can’t afford to take a string quartet with you, then what do you do? I didn’t come up with this argument at the time, but in retrospect I suppose a live-recorded loop at least still exposes us to the vagaries of what might happen on the day in a way that anything pre-recorded does not. It also exposes us to the actual process of building a song which I, as a fan, enjoy seeing.
Well the fuller sound is excellent. Until the Traffic Stops was recorded without assistance in a padded boxroom (no sniggering) at the bottom of Broughton Street and emerged pretty much fully formed. It seems that is the way with the band as well. Given he recorded his album alone, Alex didn’t actually have a band so he assembled one with the help of MySpace. And it too emerged fully formed.
This gig didn’t sound like the work of a band fresh out of the bedroom any more than Until the Traffic Stops sounded like an album recorded in someone’s broom closet. He’ll be travelling the country this week. If you can see him, do so.
Alex Cornish – Counting Chimney Pots
Alex Cornish – This One’s For You
[...] instead of the inane and under-informed ramblings of a random enthusiastic fan, go and read Matthew’s review of Monday’s gig in Edinburgh. You’ll also find a few samples of Alex’s music there, and on his MySpace page. And [...]
I have to agree that the fuller sound really works – I saw him at the Troubadour in London on Tuesday and it was a great gig. And it’s all your fault that I’m even a fan!
I saw what you wrote on your site actually Andy, that was much appreciated. Although I think all music bloggers are just over-enthusiastic fans with borderline OCD about writing stuff down.
He’s volunteered to do a session podcast on the new and improved Toadcasts this year, so hopefully you’ll like that one.
Marvellous stuff as usual – infectious is not the word. Actually it is. The perfect word.
Will try and play a track on my radio show. Played Joe Lean last week.
ps – wrote about your disdain of the Liverpool scene on the FURY today – see what you think when you have a mo.
Also – I am seem to have dropped off your blogroll.
Excellent Dusty, cheers. Don’t know what happened with the Blogroll – I have been so shit about looking after it recently. I haven’t added anyone new for ages, I’ve been so busy.
I’m really looking forward to having a good dig in those Liverpool posts actually. I wrote what I wrote precisely in the hope that someone could set me straight.
I’ll have a dig through those tomorrow hopefully, and I’ll almost certainly post about it as well. I saw The Steeples tonight actually, who are a Liverpool band and they said, without me prompting them, that they thought the scene was shite too.
A review of that gig will be up shortly.
As I said originally, I suppose it depends on how you define a ‘scene’. Certainly those two post prove there are a lot of young, active and diverse bands in Liverpool right now.
But, of course, I don’t live there or even go to many gigs there these days, so The Steeples (who I need to check out) would know better.
Look forward to the review. Cheers.
Hello there! As someone who was also at the gig in Edinburgh that night (quite randomly too) I fully agree with your review. I thoroughly enjoyed the sounds Alex produced, they definitely got under my skin. Was also thrilled at getting a first-hand handshake off the man in question ;o) Have ordered the album and will be looking out for any upcoming trips to the ‘pool!
Very nice to meet you too Matt, thanks for taking pity on the ‘loner’ in the Ark (that is if you remember you did so!)! Hope all is well in your musical world.
Coz
Mmmm interesting comment that Alex did all the recording work himself, shame that none of you have read the album credits which tell a different story. Great album full of sensitivity and excellent tunes.
cheers
Excuse me. Without the benefit of a record label. But your superior sarcasm is always welcome here.