Monday 27 April 2009

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – The Good Feeling Music Of…

After the barber shop weirdness of the opening track Welcome, we’re invited to Meet Me In The Garden, which is Jens Lekman if he’d been in the Zombies. Dent croons beautifully, a delightful innocence to the music that brings to mind the Carpenters. College Town Boy is a mournful lament, on this he sounds like Morrissey fronting a teddy boy band doing a love song in Grease. Then we have Oh Paris!, which is a strolling doo wop march. It’s all very subtle, but the tunes have vagaries and mismatches that make them very special. Howard reminds me of early Billy Bragg, with a more tuneful voice and easier on the ear tune. Girls on The Square is relaxed with Beach Boys harmonies, but almost standing still, while You Can’t Force A Dance Party sounds like it loves Blood Music and the aforementioned Lekman. It’s sprightly, yet sad and hopeful. God Loves You, Michael Chang is upbeat and cheery, whilst At The Academic Conference sounds like it’s made on a Hawaiian beach and sounds like Herman Dune. I’m An Alcoholic sounds suitably woozy and maudlin, and Love Song 2009 is brassy and sprightly at times and also like the Beach Boys' In My Room. It’s a happy way to sign off a great album.

The Good Feeling Music Of… is out now on Paw Tracks
Dent May's myspace is here

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