Neil Halstead
"Sleeping On Roads"
(4AD)

Oh, where have all the effects pedals gone? Neil Halstead, stalwart leader of shoegaze pioneers Slowdive and the stripped down Mojave 3, could once be counted on for staggering layers of guitar effects enveloping his songs like thick gauze. As the years have progressed though, he has relied less on atmospheric sounds and more on pure pop songcraft. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Halstead's first solo outing is an extension of the developments made on the most recent Mojave 3 record. The inspiration for his newly developing sound is starting to come into focus. It would be an oversimplification to sum up the sound of this record as Dylan covering the Bacharach songbook with a restrained Nelson Riddle arranging the horns and strings. That description does, however, offer a good starting point for comparisons. It is clear that Halstead is making a concerted effort to broaden his horizons and challenge himself as an artist. The complex arrangements and broad palette of instruments on the album keep the songs from ever falling into singer/songwriter humdrum.

That said however, this record is not much of a departure from Excuses For Travellers (sic). He uses most of the same musicians, technicians and studios as last time. Other than marginally brighter production and not having Rachel Goswell sing two songs, this record is virtually identical. That's not a bad thing, but it makes me wonder why he even bothers with the band pretense at all. This record simply underscores what a one man show Mojave 3 really is.

No complaints from this corner about the quality of songs. Once again, Halstead delivers a strong collection that gets better on repeated listens. I had never thought of comparing him with wunderkind Joe Pernice before, but Halstead makes a convincing case for being one of the most dependable and overlooked talents in underground music.

Chris