Neil Halstead
You Are the Glue 7''
Brushfire
2012
Rating: 6.5 qwerty keyboards out of 10
This seven inch is strangely upbeat for Neil Halstead. Released around the same time as his great solo record "Palindrome Hunches," I assume these two songs ("You Are the Glue" / "Tennis for Dennis") were recorded around the same time and just didn't fit the overall vibe of that album. Mind you this is me completely guessing out of my ass, I could be totally wrong. They're not bad songs, I'll probably dig them more with some additional listens, but it just isn't what I was expecting from the typically somber and morose Halstead.
Neil Halstead
Palindrome Hunches
Brushfire
2012
Rating: 7.5 chick tracts out of 10
From the mid-nineties to the mid-oughts, Neil Halstead released a number of classic records under the band name Mojave 3. I mean no slight to the rest of the Mojave 3 band members, but it's Halstead's voice and song-writing that really sold that material. So it's no surprise that his solo records are equally great, especially this newest offering "Palindrome Hunches." For the most part it's just the man, his vocals and a bit of guitar - most every review I've seen have made a Nick Drake cover, but I've been listening to Halstead for so long he is now a touchstone for other comparisons. Certainly the "soft rockingness" of both artists are quite similar, so I see where the comparisons come from, but for my money I'll honestly take Halstead over Drake. Pound for pound Halstead's output is just as engaging, and there's more of it.
