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Album Reviews
Album Review: Master Solo – Heart Welcome Break (Night Owl Recordings)
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 10 November 2008
Master Solo, real name Mark Jennings, is a self-confessed maverick. He writes what he wants to write, whether it’s musings on schoolboy crushes, having his heart broken or watching his cat, er, make a trip to the litter bin – nothing is too trivial for this man. With nods to artists such as Iceland’s Mum, The Notwist and Neutral Milk Hotel, Master Solo’s sound is – you guessed it – a plinky-plonky mix of lo-fi electronic and acoustic alt-country. Recorded both at home and in the studio, Solo’s debut LP ‘Heart Welcome Break’ has an appropriately mix-tape, cut-and-paste, DIY-pop feel to it. The electronics are easily the most pleasant parts of the album; unfortunately for Jennings his voice is not as endearing as it should be. The themes of each song, while fun at first, come across as a little self-indulgent and are only coddled by the drone of vocals that turn could-be (and should-be) amusing anecdotes dull. ‘Heart Welcome Break’ has amazing potential as an instrumental album – if there’s something that Jennings does well, it’s compose a beautiful and easy-on-the-ears experimental melody. TW
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