CHRIS CLEVERLEY Apparitions (Chris Cleverley Music CLEV001)

CHRIS CLEVERLEY ApparitionsThe debut album from singer-songwriter Chris Cleverley really doesn’t fit a pattern and that’s great. It’s so refreshing to hear someone who doesn’t obey the rules – every time you think you have a handle on this record he dances away to something new.

Apparitions opens with a short solo instrumental, ‘Transience’ and Chris makes the point that he’s a fine guitarist. Then we move to possibly the album’s best track, ‘The Dawn Before The Day’, a love song with a delightfully natural vocal, almost conversational, decorated by Marion Morgan’s violin. ‘Lesson’ follows in the same vein; confessional with Amit Dattani’s slide guitar laying a strong foundation. ‘I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground’ sees Chris switch to banjo. It’s an old American traditional song and includes the warning that railroad men will “drink up all your blood like wine” – where have I heard that before?

‘Acetylene’ feels like a random title although I suppose it means something to Chris and the track features some haunting backwards guitar. Then comes ‘O Shenandoah’, taken must faster than the usual dirge-like pace and with some really good finger-picking. You get the impression that Chris could do anything his fancy turned to from his apparently chosen path as a singer-songwriter to a career as a skilled interpreter of traditional songs. Whatever he does he’s going places, that’s for sure.

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: www.chriscleverley.com

‘The Dawn Before The Day’ – official video: