Album Review

The Forest – Alone In Music

• 18th May 2008

A genre bounding Mark E Smith vocal veined, independent spirited, irreverent and slightly raw strut and stroll culminates in the 3rd album that is the work Jonah Stevenson.

Who has seen attempts to build up an established band, fall apart in front of him like Gordon Brown’s attempt to repair New Labour. Naturally, by going it alone Stevenson oozes abandon and there is a sense of freedom that filters through this nine track foray.

‘Uncredited Serial Killer Blues’, uses a skill not seen since Dostoevsky put his pen down, of being able to logically draw attention to the failings in the attitudes of society through the dark humoured perspective of a murderer;

“I’ve got those uncredited serial killer bluuuuueeeeeesss; I exposed my last crime to a passer-by, but he just told the police it was a black guy. So he’s a racist and he’s covering up murder, which is pretty despicable in my book.”

A croaky and creaking anti-folk vibe eeks out through the title track and ‘I’m Not Van Gogh’, whereby, Stevenson’s vocals hit a rugged pitch somewhere between the worlds of Jeffrey Lewis and Brer Brian. Most of the album is littered with quirky asides and basic, but blasé guitar trundles. This helps to show off a made-in-the-garage honesty that some modern acts spend wedges of major label money on and hours in a swanky studio with a producer, in order to achieve the same impact.

‘You’re A Fascist’, brings about some coarse political commentary and takes a leap towards resurrecting that punk spirit through a rugged folk based funnel. It is in the Leonard Cohen at his peak mirroring and mournfully mystical ‘Can I Live In Your Mouth’ that truly exposes Stevo’s eccentricity, through psychedelic build-ups and rugged, mildly distorted vocals. This is complemented in the slow burning blues hued finale, ‘Mushroom Field With Crows’, featuring a more laid back/chilled out lob to set you off on the road of reflection.

The Forest will certainly grow if it is left alone to choose its direction.