Album Review

Neil Burrell – White Devil’s Day Is Almost Over

• 29th Nov 2007

If you’re sick of hearing the same music being regenerated and ‘updated’ every few years and you’re looking for something completely new and frankly crazy, this is for you. Debut albums don’t take this many risks anymore and certainly not on track one. ‘Ooompa Zoompa (Four Voices)’ is what it sounds like, a remake of the Ooompa Loompa song from Roald Dahl, yet weirder. The song’s psychedelia flows (with difficulty) in to Burrell talking even greater gibberish; a deep scary rambling man. The thing here is to persevere. The songs get more relaxed and beautiful the further you delve in to the album. If you give up after the true weirdness you will miss out on a little gem.

Everything about this album suggests it won’t be an instant success. On the intricate sleeve Burrell’s name and the song titles are woven so completely with floral design that they become a part of each other and may only be discovered by a searcher in a real record store down the track. The lyrics seem to come from Burrell with such difficulty at times your ears are racing ahead of what you’re hearing. Like the sleeve it’s hard to decipher the lyrics from the web of perfectly rolling music. The best way to describe this album is a folk version of musical film. Listen to ‘Wing To A Fly’ and your head starts playing ‘Pick a Pocket or Two’ from Oliver Twist. This is nothing but a head fuck!

It moves away from the weird in to the most perfect sub pop, folk rock – or whatever. It twists your mind and you’re spending as much time wondering if you like it as you do enjoying his sublime pained vocal. The acoustic guitars are raw and played with so much passion, this is not a remastered, single led debut. You will love or HATE this man; it’s not one to casually slip on the car with your mum, it would make for an awkward journey. A barmy night in – alone – and this could really make your evening. After a couple of listens it’s hard to know what to think but it certainly intrigues. The end slips away and somehow you need to listen all over again; this could be special or maybe it’s the madness??

To purchase the album and for more information visit the Akoustik Anarkhy website: [link]