Song, by Toad

I am writing this one quick, because that unemployment rant needs to be shunted down the page pronto! Christ, sometimes I really need to remind myself that this site is supposed to about music – music you fool!

It’s rare that a simple acoustic troubadour manages to avoid sounding a little thin, but this is something Mr. Godwin achieves with considerable aplomb. You may remember him from my recent Jacques Brel post – well Next! was great, and the rest of his music is rich, deep and comforting as well. I know it has the aspects of a drunken, careworn barfly, but this is clearly manifested as a theatrical device rather than any sort of implication that it embodies the identity of our singer.

This EP manages to be arch and witty without ever actually seeming arch and witty. There’s nothing of the superior irony in which a great many groups tend to wrap themselves these days. If ever artifice and cleverness can seem really sincere and uncontrived it is here, which I suppose is an odd concept and a somewhat concealed compliment.

He cites his heroes as the likes of Jarvis Cocker and Jacques Brel and the like, which makes good sense, although the pace of the music never really pushes out of third gear unlike some of their stuff. Tracks like All-Stars and Josie are still growing on me to an extent as well, so I am not wildly in love with the whole EP, but the Brel cover Next! and songs like Variety and One of Many are absolutely superb straight from the first listen. The other two are making better friends with my ears on every listen too, so I really recommend you pop over to his MySpace page and buy yourselves a copy, because I really doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Richard Godwin – Variety
Richard Godwin – Next!