Vultures are birds that feed on carcasses. Rather than working to feed themselves, they wait for larger animals to die and then feast on the unchallenging remains. Paul Marshall's debut LP contains references to lions and other predators. Lions are brutal pioneers that live with the objectives of staying alive and fucking and killing. This, though unpleasant, is a far more honourable and exciting way of living. Unfortunately, Paul Marshall's debut shares more with the animal of its title.
To his credit, he has waited until his targets are dead (or as good as, anyway) before he thrusts his talons into their guts. The up-down-middle picking patterns are pure Paul Simon (as good as, remember), but without the strident rejection of traditional guitar artistry of the flat-capped Ladysmith-loving Chevy Chaser's early work. Similarly, the vocal display is pure Nick Drake, which, at first listen, isn't a bad thing at all, but far too often we hear it descend strangely into acoustic nu-metal beefiness and over-egged yearning for not much at all. This vulture is sadly preying on those too weak to defend themselves. I mean the dead, obviously.
The most annoying aspect of this confusing record is that it will probably be hailed as a massively refreshing step away from the latest ream of singer-songwriters to cream themselves in your face with over-emoting, but in truth it's not as clever as that. It's a case of, "ooh, aren't harmonics and hammer-ons delicate!" on the nicely-played but ultimately deafeningly derivative 'A Place On The Map', and the sick croons of 'Sea Full Of Trains' would literally not look out of place on an unplugged Incubus record. For these backward reasons, and even though Marshall is a comparative breath of fresh air, Vultures is ultimately a shell of a record.
There are nice corners hiding in there somewhere, sweet plops of xylophone and various other accoutrements, but it is not enough to escape the shadow of influence cast by Marshall's idols. Coupled with cloying over-emotion and quite a deplorable sound-alike factor, we can measure the distance this record needed to cover to become part of the alt-folk singer songwriter canon. Alas, it falls short.
bad review
nu metal? incubus? uttery bizarre comparisons
I like this album and I reckon any Nick Drake fans would also.
haha what a shite review.
someone can't write.
erm
this album is amazing, where as this review is not.
10/10
It's hardly a 10/10 record now, is it...
...it's very, very nice... I can see/hear what Daniel's saying.
Me, I say 7/10: a good foundation for future releases.
This album is..
lovely. Paul is a talented chap.
everytime...
i look at this site nowadays, i literally piss blood with laughter HAHAHA! and stabb my eyes out in frustration AAARRGGHH! will someone please block my login or something. first off, no offence but daniel your an idiot, and you shouldnt be writing reviews if you cant hear music properly, i mean do they employ deaf people, do you actually listen to music?? its so predictable how websites who are the typical 'used to be underground and real, but now we wanna piece of whats IN, in fact i might change my hairstyle to whats hip, maybe like one of those twats from the klaxons or rattattagg or T4' empoly 21 year old hipster writer wannabes who have no idea about music or what there talking about and try and use clever words and metaphors to really try and describe something they really are confused about and dont understand at all because all they do it refer to what their sponge like brains have soaked up and even that they dont understand, as their brains havent developed properly yet! Paul Marshall's songs are amazing inspiring and more real and from the heart that most singer songwriter's have cacked out of their boring bumholes, and their is a genuine overtone that the previously mentioned lack, and so what if he sounds a bit like drake, that is not at all a bad thing(most people have some mi'nute comparison to someone) i wish him the best of luck with his future as im sure he has/will work hard for it and thats why ive never seen a bad review for Mr Marshall. i think someone should start a review page to review reviewers, infact ill start it now and this is my (probably not) first review!! of you daniel! and i give you 2/10! ill let you know when the sites up and running, cos your'll get reviewer of the week.
Nu-metal, Incubus hahaha! im gonna water the dry deserts of africa from crying with laughter so much!
i agree...
... shit review, clearly misses the mark and point of the album.
it's definately not a 10/10
i'd probably go for 8/10
infact, i wouldnt even care if the guy kept it at 6/10, as long as he talked some sense in his review!
right!
if theres something you dont like about it A; talk sense B; at least be constructive.
paul marshall
is one of my favourites. maybe he isn't groundbreakingly different but there are reasons that people still listen to nick drake and one of those is because the music is fucking lush on every level-- the tonality, the style, the vocals.
i haven't heard this album, but i've been listening to PM for over a year maybe two now and i can't wait to get my talons into it (in a good way) because i don't see that he can do any wrong.
FACT:
this review is well-written. carry on!
factfactfact!!!
hahaha! what well written as in spelling and grammer?? yeah sure its better than mine, but that dont mean shit i think a desent reviewer needs alot more than that. maybe you should look else where for reviewers, like my terrible bumhole, im sure theres something much better up there; ill get one of my daggle berrys to write something, there grammers not so good, but they im sure they can do better than this! or better still set fire to the whole website.
Vultures can't hold pens but still they write.....
Really like the album, memorable lyrics and melodies. the best I've heard of it's kind for a long time. I do agree with it sounding like Nick Drake, so do a lot of people. At least he does it well. I strongly encourage people to make up their own minds by listening to it.
true dat!!!!
!!
i absolutely agree with you mr ianofthedead.
anything i've written up there is what i think about the record, and that matters very little if you like the record yourself. i completely stand by what i've written, a reversal in opinion just to stop people being mean at this point would be dishonest. everyone is encouraged to make up their own minds. the day everyone starts buying records critics says are good and ignoring the ones they say are bad is the day we collectively lose the concept of taste.
i have nothing against paul marshall, i think much of his music is rather nice. i just don't like it all that much, and i like it even less when people assume an opinion to be point-blank wrong and back it up with nothing but insults. as for bizarre incubus comparisons, listen to the nuanced emoting of marshall's voice, the guitar tunings, the chord patterns etc. surprisingly numerous similarities.
daniel..
its got nothing to do with taste mate its got to do with your terrible writtng skills, and how unconstructive your being, and it cacks my pants hahahaha to hear a reviewer who writes such poopee crying that people are being 'mean'(arrr)! four words; how does it feel? like j-apetus said its like you've spent most of your time just trying to be witty and clever when you just come across like a kid(oh hang on a sec?)who is being bitchy rather than listening to it and being constructive about the good and bad parts of it(which by the way you would of done if you had though his previous stuff was 'nice')! ah and saying 'oh i think most of his stuff is nice' is absolute bollocks and such a cop out! just the same as saying your wrong and you change your mind about it. as if you had listened to his previous stuff you'd notice that its a perfect building progression to now and like mike said a good platform! find a new job dude!
oh mister editor i still got those dangle berrys ready to go!
and the box of matches!
also..
so what now your an expert in musical structures and tunnings as wel as 'trying' to be a writer? ive been playing guitar and various intruments for over 15years now, and no way in hell does it have any comparison to incubus! they use standard tuning for everything they write. thats like saying that oasis sound like the clash cos they use the same tuning or that fugazi sound like nirvana cos they both use a power chords. numbskull! plus i know for a fact(from when ive seen paul play) he's uses off tunnings for some of his stuff. god do your home work at least if your trying to cover your asshole!
hahaha! nu-metal?? incubus? haha!
What i find sad...
about this review is that it sounds almost bitter in response to Paul's album. For example, and i quote,
"..but in truth it's not as clever as that. It's a case of ooh aren't harmonics and hammer-ons delicate!" when referring to 'A Place On The Map' which is one of my personal favorites from the album. It almost sounds like a jealous child!
To me it simply sounds like he spent too much time trying to find some underlying evil contrived musical plan by Paul, instead of maybe taking the time to sit back and enjoy what a beautiful record he has created.
Sad really. I'd say 8/10 was a fair mark.
Just one more thing... Incubus?? Please, try at least to not insult the man's intelligence as well as his music.
but but..
but he can write, he can write, he can write!
and that makes it all ok doesnt it??
appararently!!!
like i always say...
... the worst thing about the internet is that any idiot can be a critic nowadays. What a crock of shit review!!!
Still, there's lots of clever metaphors, big words and a total lack of musical knowledge so it'll probably put him in good stead for that job at the NME he's so keen to get.....
hmm...
i'm disappointed with this review. i find most writers on DiS make a valid point about any release whether their opinion is good or bad. however, in this case, it seems daniel has spent most of his time trying to be witty and clever rather than actually listening to the record and as a result has come across looking like a fool. shame really, but i guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. i only wish paul DID sound like incubus, i'd be loaded by now!
...
the only thing annoying about the review is the description of lions as pioneers...
however very little could put me off exploring a musician i've not previously heard as much as pipppp's brook-no-dissent ranting.
just because you disagree with someone, doesn't mean you have to lose your rag.
ive..
not lost anything thanks, im just right!
Vultures can't hold pens but still they write
its funny how much the reviewer makes of the vultures thing when i thought it was a reference to people like him.
These users are all the same person, aren't they?
PIPPPP! wut iz tunnings??? haha dangle berrys