An assured set of songs from the Englishman who sets out his stall as a singer/song-writer with his back drop being jangly guitar Pop Rock.
The former Diesel Park West singer returns with another solo album, his fourth but the first with the added C to his name (to help differentiate him from his Aussie namesake).
Click HERE to read the Rocktopia interview with Jon!
It's an assured set of songs from the Englishman who sets out his stall as a singer/song-writer with his back drop being jangly guitar Pop Rock. It has one foot across the Atlantic in terms of sound, conjuring up artists like Tom Petty (particularly on 'Birmingham' and 'Mr. Rock 'N' Roll'), The Byrds and a touch of Bob Dylan. However, the other foot is in the British tradition of singer/song-writers and you sense the influence of The Beatles, although he's more John Lennon fury than Paul McCartney romance. There are also elements of Elvis Costello.
He appears to be a man who isn't happy about or can understand what's going on in the world today (he's not alone).'When The Walls Went Down' and 'Each Other' both ruminate on the state of the world. The album's title is a concept that runs through the record, a theme that we're all strangers to one another despite all fundamentally having the same basic needs and desires.
It's nicely produced by Paul Sampson (The La's, Primitives, Catatonia and David McAlmont) and the songs caress rather than beat you over the head. Diesel Park West never really exploded, however, that has had its compensations. Not constrained by a huge fan base who want a band to repeat the sound that brought them success has allowed Jon C Butler to furrow his own musical path, one that has seen him mature lyrically and retain the shimmering, chiming guitar charm.
Duncan Jamieson
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