Andy Burrows: The Colour of My Dreams
Friday, 30 May 2008 14:10
Andy Burrows shows us the colour of his dreams
Vertigo, out now.
In a nutshell...
Charming, tuneful, boyish, Sixties, simple.
What's it all about?
The Colour of My Dreams, recorded in Burrows' own home, is only 11 tracks long, and every song is brief. In fact, the whole album together last just shy of 13 minutes. Perhaps this is partly because the words were already pre-written as poems, and Burrows just set them to music.
However, there is a degree of precision to Burrows' writing structure; he condenses everything into no-frills melodic tunes in the style of early Lennon-McCartney. At the very least, none of these songs drag on for longer than is necessary.
Who's it by?
The Colour of My Dreams is the debut solo album from Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows. Proceeds of the album will go to Winchester children's home, Naomi House, and the Jack's Place appeal. This in itself removes our right to be completely rude and snotty about his efforts – at least he’s making the record for a good cause.
As an example...
"They say that I’m dyslexic, tha'’s what they just found out/But when I get some Plasticine, I know what that's about."
The lyrics were originally written as poems, and it shows. A lot of the words just aren't singable, and don't sit easily over a melody, no matter how charming. The tunes are pleasant enough to carry it all off though. Just.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys?
Probably not for this, but Burrows clearly has talent, and might demonstrate it in a more critic-friendly way in the future. It is hard to imagine The Colour of My Dreams being performed live, or gaining enough commercial momentum to spawn big hits, or even very much attention.
What the others say:
"Possibly the year's least anticipated album... proceeds will benefit a children's hospice, though as this insult of a record is 13 minutes long and retails at full price, they will be few." - Steve Jelbert, Times
"A surprising discovery... the record's principal downfall is that at only 780 seconds, we yearn for more. That's right, we want a Razorlight encore. Who'd have thought?" - Greg Cochrane, NME
"Tender, imperfect in an endearing fashion." - Tony Robert Whyte, Drowned in Sound
So is it any good?
As is fitting for an album made to raise money for a children's charity, The Colour of My Dreams has a distinctly childlike quality. And yet, there is a sophistication in the tunes which is reminiscent of early Beatles, while some of the harmonies wouldn’t be out of place in a Mamas and the Papas song.
The title track is a sweetly-sung story of a dyslexic boy, vividly describing struggles and frustrations of growing up with a severe learning disability. Even though the words are too full of harsh consonants (words like "dyslexic" are generally not suited to being sung) and factual information to belong comfortably in a popular song, at times this adds to the endearing messiness of The Colour of My Dreams - possibly evoking an additional layer of empathy for the title track's subject matter, too.
Missionary Sales and Drummer Boy both demonstrate a fair amount of musical intelligence, and, unlike certain other tracks, the simple but original melodies are strong enough not to be overshadowed by the lyrics. Winter brings some toe-tapping hand-clapping cheer to the album, and Cuddle works well as a warm song about simple pleasures and childhood wonder.
The super-short Lighthouse Men closes the album on a positive note, and although it is fair to say that it sounds unfinished, rather than feel cheated, the listener is left itching to hit the play button and start all over again.
Whether I would feel cheated had I paid £15 in a shop for a 13-minute album is another matter, but even so, I've heard terrible self-absorbed double albums that are a much bigger waste of money at sticker price – although to be fair, such albums often end up in the bargain bin.
Nonetheless, on the whole, The Colour of My Dreams is short, but very, very sweet. Childlike, but never childish.
6.5/10
Louise McCudden
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