This is a solo effort from this member of bands such as Spongefinger and Hefner. I haven’t heard of them either, but if they are anything like Mr Hayter’s quirky folk then it’s probably because they operate in a field I don’t really venture into very often.

Opener “I Stole The Cutty Sark” opens with some weird electronic noises before launching into a mid pace acoustic number about stealing the Cutty Sark. He needs to give up on that idea because it’s too big. It is well produced and musically appealing…if you’re a folkie. The only thing I can see wrong with it is the fact that Jack has the voice of a classic folk singer. The juxtaposition between modern instrumentation and a voice that sounds like mud and jumpers and roll up cigarettes is intriguing, but I can’t get into it. “A Doll’s House” is also a lovely song, again very well produced, and when Jack confines himself to just “la la la-ing” I really like it. I also like his lyrics, but yet again, in my head I see him singing and I picture him in a sou’wester, with a wooden leg and eyepatch, standing on a bleak harbour staring out to sea. “ A Simple Song” is just that, and is probably the best thing on this EP. I can’t fault it and it is also lovely as well as being simple. He still sings on it though.

Closing track “Jacqui I Won’t Mind” is as good as anything on here, and leaves me wondering what is the matter with me. I realise that at some point in my life as a record nerd, weird noises and harsh beats and screaming etc became more important to me than simply listening to other humans express emotion. This also lead me to the conclusion that, unusually for me, I am going to admit I am wrong, as wrong as Audio Antihero were to send this to me for review. Anyone with a soul would enjoy this record so if you still have a soul, go to http://audioantihero.com/.

I’m off to listen to some feedback

Kim Monaghan

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