Before writing this review I sat down to go through my usual pre-review writing routine which consists of listening to the CD, reading some lyrics, stealing some ideas from Pitchfork, and checking out the bands website. This preliminary process usually doesn't take very long, but tonight I sat in front of this radiating screen in a state of bewilderment. All because of Damon Gough's damn website, which I should note is awesome. Before you can access any information about the album you are forced to click on an image of Gough himself, only to be led to multiple images that are merely close ups of the first. (Enter segway to review) After clicking around the site for a while and finally discovering what I was looking for, I realized that the artist's website was very symbolic of his new album which is nothing more than a closer look at what we've previously heard. Let me clarify.
Over the last four years Damon Gough, as Badly Drawn Boy, has released four albums. Each one has been filled with beautiful orchestrations (with most instruments played by Gough himself), mellow vocals, and heartfelt lyrical work. The new album, One Plus One is One is cut from a similar mold, except this time around the lyrics seem a bit more vulnerable and intimate, or in other words, a closer look. I know. I'm really diggin' on this one.
This is the part of the review where I usually list my favorite tracks, so in order to confirm my status as a creature of habit; I will do just that. When I first played the album the song that immediately caught my ear was "Easy Love". Filled with finger picking, bells, and a melodramatic introduction this song is a singer/songwriter fan's dream. With regards to instrumentation, it's my favorite by far. Lyric-wise, "This is That New Song", is definitely the albums best track. The chorus alternates by saying "This is that new song I told you about 20 years ago..." and "This is the old dream I told you about 20 years ago..." With each play, it becomes more intriguing.
Would I recommend that you buy this album immediately? The answer is yes, and no. Yes, if you already own the About a Boy Soundtrack, and No, if you do not. One Plus One is One is exceptional, but if you're a Badly Drawn Boy newbie, the motion picture soundtrack is without question the place to start.
