| This Week's Highlights |
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analysis w/e 14.5.11 |
DVDs out 9.5.11 |
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@ DVDfever Youtube |
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May 11 2011 
DVDfever co uk
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Sensitive soul’s debut. Richard Walters is 26. He has a beautiful falsetto voice. He wrote The Animal over a three year period, sparked by falling in love with an American girl and moving to Paris. Paris as he says was “the catalyst”. In his native Oxford, he’s a bit of a legend. His former band Theremin promised much but it didn’t happen. Then out of the blue – All At Sea, included here – was used on CSI: Miami. If there was ever an artist who deserves wider attention, then it’s Walters. Hopefully, Animal might just go some way in achieving greater success than he’s had so far. Animal is a work of art, though a confusing title. Songs (here’s a surprise!) are melancholic tinged ballads, not too far removed from say Damien Rice and David Ford, and not aggressive or wild as the title might suggest. Rather, his music is lightweight and gorgeous. The subject matter seems very close to home – loneliness, domestic violence and being a single chappie. Cheery stuff eh? That said, most of them are simple love songs. Each song is methodically crafted by this sensitive young man, who some might dub the next Jeff Buckley. There’s nothing extravagant going on here. His trade mark is subtlety, though in a music world awash with run-of-the mill singer-songwriters, subtlety is no guarantee for stardom. His opening gambit is the filigree Brittle Bones, a quiet restrained start about meeting a girl who already has a boyfriend, though it is a positive song of sorts. Next, Weather Song is about that virtually uncontrollable feeling on meeting someone new, before the reality of the person kicks-in.
The time Oxford was flooded inspired All At Sea during which time he split from his long-term girlfriend, a difficult time in his young life as he draws the analogy that Oxford is going under water. Paranoia during a turbulent time on weed, mushrooms, acid sparked the spacey We Have Your Head which overcame after two years of self-destruction during which time he dropped out of university. The most disturbing song is The Animal about physical abuse. Lyrically it’s very profound and worrying as he enters the mind of the abuser. During one of his many visits to America, he had a seizure. It was his first epileptic episode where he was diagnosed with the ailment at a Santa Monica hospital. It’s now under control, like his life right now. As things have progressed in his love-life, True Love Will Find You In The End finds the sensitive soul at peace with himself and the world. The verdict: An understated beauty.
Weblink: richard-walters.org / myspace.com/richardwalters (includes audio samples)
The full list of tracks included are :
As of April 2009, Blu-rays and DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TH-37PX80B 37" Plasma TV with a Sony BDP-1500 Blu-ray player and played through a Yamaha DSP-AX820 amplifier. PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
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Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.
