Album Review

Barry Lawton – Demos

• 26th Feb 2011

Singer songwriter Barry Lawton from Crewe has produced a very nice collection of ten demos. There is a real passion to his down to earth songs, which sound much closer to finished products than many demos do.

Lawton has built a solid reputation in the North West as a live performer. But with two self financed albums behind him, he is still looking for a publishing deal. Hopefully these recordings will form the basis of a new album, as they deserve to be heard.

From Here To The Past, with which Lawton reached the semi final stages of the UK Songwriting contest for 2010, kicks things off. It is piano based, unlike most of these demos which were largely recorded with acoustic guitar backing, and showcases Lawton’s strong and even vocals nicely.

Remembrance Sunday brings the first political input, its anti war lyrics quoting George Orwell. And the deaths keep coming, but, “nobody blinks now as our boys come home boxed beneath the flag”.

Only Wants To Be With New is a tender rendition of an ode to new love, citing the magic of two souls bound together.

The Night She Bit The Bullet feels more like a finished song than a demo. It’s another love song, this time with a full band production.

Maybe I’m Wrong sounds a little different from most of the tracks here, with its more wistful vocals and tender lyrics.

The pace increases with Bigger Than Us All, with jangling chords that suggest there will be a more rock feel to the final versions.

Jobs For Life is another political song, mourning the death of traditional industries and the effects on the men made redundant “from the mines, steel, docks and rail”.

Always Tomorrow tells of the crushing grind of everyday life, with chilling lyrics that tell of those, ” beaten before conception before they ever drew breath, as they cling to believe that there’s another chance after death”.

Grow Together is a much more optimistic song, looking to good times ahead.

Alone closes things in very strong fashion. This defiant story of a woman struggling with life while putting on a positive face for the world is perhaps a little rough, but it has great promise.

There is a Weller-esque feel to much of Barry Lawton’s songwriting, and indeed to his vocal delivery, which is quite a compliment. With meaning in his lyrics and passionate delivery throughout, Lawton clearly has talent. I hope he gets the chance to prove me right.